Influence of Biodegradation on the Compositional Characteristics of Fluorene, Dibenzofuran and Dibenzothiophene and Their Methyl Homologues in Crude Oils from the hemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />
The concentrations and the relative proportions of fluorene, dibenzofuran and dibenzothiophene and their methyl homologues (Fs, OFs and SFs) in a series of crude oils with different degrees of biodegradation from the Liaohe Basin have been quantified and studied by GC—MS. The results show that fluorene, dibenzofuran and dibenzothio-phene and their methyl homologuesare sensitive to biodegradation influence. In slightly biodegraded oils, the concentrations of fluorene, dibenzofuran and dibenzothiophene without alkyl side chain decreased at almost similar rate, but their relative proportions could remain constant and could be used as depositional environment indicator. In moderate or severely biodegraded oils, their relative proportions have been altered and lost their original geochemical significance. hemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />