Occurrence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Liverpool Bay, Irish Sea

Surface seawater samples were collected in the Irish Sea and Liverpool Bay area from the R.V. Prince Madog during the period of 25–31 of March 2006. VOCs were purged with nitrogen, pre-concentrated on a SPME fibre and analysed immediately on a GC–MS. Target compounds quantified were halogenated (0.2–1400 ng L−1), BTEXs and mono-aromatics (1.5–2900 ng L−1), aliphatic hydrocarbons and others (0.6–15,800 ng L−1). Day and night sampling was performed at a single station and suggested that factors such as sunlight and tide affect the presence of many of these compounds. Sample variability was high due to the variable weather conditions at the station. Poor correlations were found between marine phytopigments and selected VOCs. Principal component analysis (PCA) analysis showed that chlorinated compounds such as 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene and carbon tetrachloride, predominantly from anthropogenic sources, originated from the River Mersey. Other brominated and iodinated compounds quantified were more likely to be from biogenic sources including novel marine compounds such as 2-chloropropane, 1-bromoethane and 1-chlorobutane.