Lipid Biomarkers in Urban Soils of the Alluvial Area near Sava River, Belgrade, Serbia

Abstract

This study focused on the investigation of soil samples from the alluvial zone of the Sava River, located near the heating plant in New Belgrade, Serbia. Using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID), a broad range of alkanes, including linear n-alkanes (C10 to C33) and isoprenoids, was analyzed in all samples. The obtained datasets were effectively made simpler by applying multivariate statistical analysis. Various geochemical indices (CPI, ACL, AI, TAR, etc.) and ratios (S/L, Paq, Pwax, etc.) were calculated and used to distinguish between biogenic and anthropogenic contributions. This approach added a higher level of precision to the source identification of hydrocarbons and provided a detailed geochemical characterization of the investigated soil. The results showed that the topsoil had a high content of TPH (average value, 90.65 mg kg−1), potentially related to an accidental oil spill that occurred repeatedly over extended periods. The uncommon n-alkane profiles reported for the investigated soil samples are probably the result of inputs related to anthropogenic sources, emphasizing that petroleum was the main source of the short-chain n-alkanes. The methodology developed in this study was proven to be efficient for the assessment of the environmental quality of the soil in an urban part of New Belgrade, but it can also be a useful tool for soil monitoring and for a pollution assessment in other (sub)urban areas.