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Southeast Brazilian bays have been increasingly degraded by untreated organic loads. Therefore, to assess fecal contamination status, sediment quality regarding polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and sources of organic matter (OM), we have determined fine-grained and total organic carbon (TOC) content and concentrations of PAHs and sterols in twenty-six surface sediment samples in Sepetiba Bay. The fine-grained (1–26 %), TOC (0.20–3.45 %), PAHs (<LQ – 78.27 ng g−1) and sterols (0.10–21.58 μg g−1) results showed a decreasing trend from the internal to the external sector of the study area. The diagnostic ratios of selected PAHs and sterols indicated a mixture with significant contribution from continental and pyrolytic OM in all stations. The fecal contamination is significant to the internal sector of Sepetiba Bay. Considering a site-specific sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) the PAHs levels with more restricted benchmark values indicate the harbor and the internal sector as contaminated.
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•Recent report on the organic matter sources two decades ahead in Sepetiba Bay•High TOC, total sterols, and total PAHs levels are related to lower hydrodynamic.•The results disclosed that main source of organic matter was pyrolytic and continental.•Fecal contamination is more significant in the internal sector.•PHAs levels were potential harmful in the harbor and the internal sector.