Environmental Assessment of Heavy Metals in Soil of West Quarna -2 Oil field at Basrah-Southern Iraq

Abstract

In this study, concentrations of eight heavy metals (Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr, Zn, Co, Cd and Fe) wereinvestigated during 2016 in ten stations at West Qurna-2 oil field in Basra city Southern of Iraq. Thesemetals were analyzed by using Atomic absorption spectrometry. The mean values of the metals in thesoil range for : pb (18.23 -39.15), Ni (28.34-46.35), Cu (10.12-18.22), Cr (50.64-59.23), Zn (25.23-40.48), Co (5.34-11.27), Cd (5.99-10.23) and Fe (1150.12-2185.83) ug/g dry weight. ContaminationFactor (CF), Enrichment factor (EF) and Geo accumulation index (I-geo) were computed and comparedin different stations of the soil oil field. Total concentration of metals in soil samples found to be in thisorder: Fe>Cr> Ni >Zn> Pb>Cu> Co>Cd. The main reason for different in concentration could be dueto the effects of contamination caused by various activities in the oil field and the urban .Total organiccarbons and grain size analysis were also determined, and there is a good correlation between TOC andHeavy metals. These data are a first of its kind in this important area and could be used as a baseline forcoming study in the futures.The purpose of this study were to determine the spatial distribution of trace metals in the soil of theWest Qurna-2 oil field, and to quantify potentially ecological risk of trace metal pollution.