Sedimentary record of hydrocarbons and sewage inputs from a highly populated region in South-Eastern Brazil.

The environmental impacts of the urban expansion in Rio de Janeiro was evaluated based on the historical accumulation of black carbon (BC), aliphatic (AHs) and aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and sterols in a sediment core retrieved from Botafogo Cove. BC related to oil combustion sources increased significantly since the 1990s. AHs were associated with petroleum inputs and revealed a high level of contamination.