Research Article
Makia M. Al-Hejuje ; N. A. Hus
Abstract
Water samples were collected monthly from five stations along the middle part of Shatt Al Arab river during the low tide period from December , 2012 to November , 2013 to determine the concentrations , distribution and sources of hydrocarbons compounds in water samples. TPH is range from 5.18 μg/l to 37.59 μg/l . The carbon chain length of aliphatic ( n-alkanes) in water were recorded from C7 to C31 dominated by C22-C25 , and the total n-alkanes was ranged from 8.81 μg/l to 35.58 μg/l . The range of PAHs compounds was ( 5.81 – 47.96) ng/l ,dominated by carbazol and anthracene ( as light PAHs) and chrysene and floranthene (as heavy PAHs) . The LMW/HMW , CPI and Pristine/Phytane ratios indicated that the source of n-alkanes hydrocarbons was mainly biogenic and pyrogenic and at least petrogenic .Whereas the LMW/HMW , Phenanthrene /Anthracene , and Flouranthene / Pyrene ratios indicated that the source of PAHs compounds was mainly pyrogenic and petrogenic .