COMPARISON OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHY FLUORESCENCE SCREENING AND GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY MASS-SPECTROMETRY ANALYSIS FOR AROMATIC-COMPOUNDS IN SEDIMENTS SAMPLED AFTER THE EXXON-VALDEZ OIL-SPILL

After the grounding of the Exxon Valdez, sediment samples were collected to determine the degree and distribution of the oiling. Sixty sediments from 10 sites in Prince William Sound, AK, were analyzed for Prudhoe Bay crude oil (PBCO) using a rapid HPLC screening method that measured fluorescence at wavelength pairs specific for two- and three-ring petroleum-related aromatic compounds (ACs). Concentrations of individual ACs in the sediments were also determined by GC/MS to compare the results of the two methods. Concentrations of ACs measured by HPLC screening were highly correlated with the sums of ACs determined by GC/MS, thus validating the screening method as an effective tool for estimating concentrations of petroleum-related ACs in sediments. Moreover, differences in HPLC chromatographic patterns among sediments suggested different sources of contamination, e.g., crude oil or diesel fuel. Finally, GC/MS analyses confirmed that PBCO was a primary source of contamination in many sediments.