Subalpine Sihl River Time-Series: Plant-Derived n-Alkane and n-Fatty Acid Concentrations

This dataset contains biweekly measurements of plant-derived n-alkanes and n-fatty acids from surface waters of the subalpine Sihl River, located near Zurich, Switzerland. The sampling took place from August 2016 to March 2019, with water filtered through 0.7 µm borosilicate filters. Concentrations of n-alkanes (C25-C35) and n-fatty acids (C24-C34) were extracted using a microwave-mediated method, saponified, and purified on silica columns before being quantified using gas chromatography (GC). The data includes three normalization approaches for the measured concentrations: per liter of water (µg L-1), dry weight (µg g-1 dry weight-normalized), and organic carbon (mg g-1 organic carbon-normalized). This dataset provides insights into the seasonal and temporal variations of organic compounds in a subalpine river system, relevant for understanding carbon cycling and the transport of organic matter in aquatic environments.