Assessment and diagnosis of total and aromatics hydrocarbons in selected areas of Shatt al-Arab

Abstract

Total  petroleum hydrocarbons have been determined in Four stations in Shatt Al-Arab River ( Al-Mashab , Al-Ashar , Abu Al-Kasib , and Al-Faw ) . Samples were collected monthly from January to December 2012.The highest concentrations was 17.78 µg/l in February  at Al-Mashab and the lowest was 0.22 µg/l in April at Al-Ashar station . Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs ) compounds have been studied using the  Capillary  Gas Chromatography (GC) .The highest concentrations of PAHs ( 31.11 , 29.52 , 21.49 and 31.91 ) ng/l were recorded in Al-Mashab , Al-Ashar , Abu Al-Kasib , and Al-Faw stations respectively at November . Generly PAHs concentrations were higher in all stations during Autumn and Winter whereas it showed a decrease in concentration in both Spring and Summer for all station.