The polar fractions extracted from sediments of the Imbé, Urubu, and Ururaí rivers and from Lake de Cima were analyzed using gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In the samples, cholest-5-en-3beta-ol, 24-methylcholest-5-en-3beta-ol, 24-ethylcholest-5-en-3beta-ol, 24-ethylcholesta-5,22-dien-3beta-ol and their 5alpha-counterparts were dominant among the sterols. Sediments of theses water bodies have the C29 sterols as the most abundant, emphasizing a higher plant input. In the Ururaí River, cholest-5-en-3beta-ol predominated, reflecting a major algal contribution. Olean-12-en-3beta-ol (beta-amyrin) and friedelan-3-one were prevalent among the triterpenoids in the Imbé and the Urubu sediments, but were not detected at Lake de Cima. Samples of the Imbé and Urubu rivers contained appreciable concentrations of n-alkanols. They ranged from C14 to C32 with a maximum at C16 and with a second maximum in C28. Results of all four sediments point to a mixed contribution of higher plants and algae/zooplankton. Alkanols found in these water bodies indicate a greater contribution of higher plant material, while in sediments from the Ururaí algae/zooplankton were the main sources of the organic matter.
sediments; alkanols; alkanoic acids; sterols
