Abstract
The present study focuses on the areal distribution of petroleum hydrocarbons in the Qatari coastal-belt sediments. Total petroleum hydrocarbons were quantified by ultra-violet fluorescence spectroscopy (UVF) for eighteen surface-sediment samples collected from six different areas along the Qatari coastline. Petroleum hydrocarbons are ubiquitous in the sediments studied, and their concentrations ranged from 48 μg g −1 dw Kuwaiti-oil equivalents on the eastern side of the peninsula to 248 μg g −1 dw Kuwaiti-oil equivalents on the western side. Concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons in Qatari coastal sediments were very heterogeneous from one area to another and showed a decreasing sequence in the following order: Al-Zubarah (215 μg g −1 dw) > Dukhan (143 μg g −1 dw) > Ruwais (108 μg g −1 dw) > Umm Said (89 μg g −1 dw) > Fuwairet (81 μg g −1 dw) > Doha (5 μg g −1 dw Kuwaiti-crude-oil equivalents). This could indicate that the possible sources of oil on the Qatari coasts are mainly external on the western side and local on the eastern one. No significant correlation was found between organic C (0·6-1·4%) and petroleum-hydrocarbon concentrations.
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