____________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: olubunmi.fagbote@gmail.com; Journal of Scientific Research & Reports 2(1): 228-248, 2013; Article no. JSRR.2013.016 SCIENCEDOMAIN international www.sciencedomain.org Characterization and Sources of Aliphatic Hydrocarbons of the Sediments of River Oluwa at Agbabu Bitumen Deposit Area, Western Nigeria Olubunmi E. Fagbote 1* and Edward O. Olanipekun 1 1 Department of Chemistry, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration between the two authors. Author EOO designed the study, and read and approved the final manuscript. Author OEF managed the literature searches, collected the samples, performed the statistical analysis, wrote the protocol, and wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Received 16 th January 2013 Accepted 1 st March 2013 Published 2 nd April 2013 ABSTRACT Aims: This research is aimed at determination of the distribution, concentrations, sources and origins of petroleum hydrocarbon in sediment. Study Design: River sediment samples were collected from five sampling sites from the sediments of River Oluwa at Agbabu bitumen deposit area and analyzed for n-alkanes content. Place and Duration of Study: Samples were collected from Agbabu bitumen deposit area, Western Nigeria, in years 2008 and 2009. Methodology: Analysis was carried out using gas-chromatography flame ionization detector. Diagnostic parameters used in identifying and estimating the origins of n- alkanes in the study area included Carbon Preference Index (CPI), Average Carbon Chain (ACL) and %Plant Wax Contribution. Results: n-alkanes ranged from 54.72mg/kg to 2002.4mg/kg, which were all higher than the recommended limit of 10 mg/kg. Sampling station OLSW1 had CPI value of 1 in the two sampling seasons, showing petrogenic source. The remaining sampling stations had CPI values that ranged from 0.22 and 0.52, showing bitumen related sources. ACL values were constant at 28 in all the sampling stations, except sampling stations OLSW1 (27.19) Research Article