Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Fingerprints of Some Crude Oil Polluted Soils from Niger Delta, Nigeria

Crude oil-polluted soil samples were collected from five different oil polluted sites at Etche, Ahoada, Bodo, Ebocha and Bille in Niger Delta. The samples were analyzed using Gas chromatography with Flame ionization detector (GC-FID) for the Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) to determine the different oil fractions and thus provide evidence of hydrocarbon contamination at the affected sites. The Pristane/Phytane ratios of the samples indicated that the released oil had both oxidizing and reducing source input. Similarly, the n-alkane distribution gave carbon preference index (CPI) values that pointed to both marine and terrestrial source input. The similarities in pattern from the star diagram also points to the marine and terrestrial source inputs to the oils. Depletions of nC21-nC23 hydrocarbon fractions and disappearance of nC8-nC21 fractions from gas chromatogram showed serious degradation on the sites