Distribution of Dissolved Petroleum Hydrocarbon in the Southern Arabian Gulf PDF

Keywords

hydrocarbons, petroleum, crude oil

Abstract

Sea water samples collected from the southern part o the Gulf during September 1985 showed that, according to the standard used, the concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons is variable. The variations in the results for the references: Kuwait crude oil, Qatar crude oil (from Dukhan and Halul Island) and chrysene standards are usually in an average ratio of 1:1.26:2.6:1.51 respectively. The concentration of dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons varied from 7.7 µ l^-1 to 32 µ l^-1 during September 1985. High levels (69-373 µ l^-1 were recorded around the beaches of Halul island indicating oil contamination. The total concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons dissolved i the Gulf waters was found to be 406 x 10^3 ton which is 2.7 times as higher as the estimates of oil pollution in the Gulf area during 1985. Dissolved oxygen levels decrease with increasing the concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons (r=-0.55)