Dataset: Atlantic sediment polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations from samples collected using a multi-corer and box corer from multiple cruises throughout the Atlantic between 1994 and 2010

Sediment samples were collected via a 4-barrel multi-corer (R/V Endeavor) and box corer (GeoB; samples previously collected from the Department of Geosciences at Bremen University, see MARUM GeoB Core Re­pos­it­ory https://www.marum.de/en/Infrastructure/MARUM-GeoB-Core-Repository.html). Sediments collected on the R/V Endeavor were segmented into 1-2 cm sections, dried in a drying oven (35°C) and homogenized via mortar and pestle; sediments from GeoB had previously been segmented into 1-10cm sections, freeze-dried and ground with a mortar and pestle.

Instruments:
Homogenized sediments were extracted with an accelerated solvent extractor (Dionex ASE 350) in 6 cycles at 150°C using a 50/50 mix of hexane and acetone. Prior to extraction, d10-acenapthene, d10-phenanthrene, d12-chrysene, and d12-perylene were added to each sample to assess recovery. Solvent extracts were evaporated to 1 mL using a rotary evaporator and purified through a column containing 2 mg of activated silica with 45 mL of a 30/70 solvent mixture of dichloromethane and hexane. Extracts were evaporated with N2 gas to 50 μL and an injection surrogate of p-terphenyl was added before analysis on an Agilent 6890 Series gas chromatograph coupled to a 5973 Mass Selection Detector (GC-MS).

Location: 
Amazon Delta (approximately: 4 N, 47 W; 2400-3500m); Sierra Leone Rise (approximately: 7 N, 20 W; 2800-3800m), Niger Delta (approximately: 1 N, 8 E; 1200-3000m), Senegal Delta (approximately: 17 N, 17 W; 330 m), and Northwest Argentina Basin (approximately: 37 S, 39 W; 5000m)

Cruise or Deployment:R/V Endeavor (EN-480, EN-481; July/August 2010); GeoB (4901, 4903, 4904, 4905, 4907, 4908; February/March 1998), GeoB (9501; April/May 2003), GeoB (2814, July/August 1994)

* R/V Endeavor cruises were attached to this dataset as "Deployments."
​* Collection information for the GeoB samples previously collected from the Department of Geosciences at Bremen University can be found in table "Atlantic Sediment Cruise Information" in the Supplemental Files section of this dataset.