Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH) in the Soil of West Qurna-2 Oil Field Southern Iraq

Abstract

This study focused on the determinate the concentrations of Total hydrocarbon by using spectroflurometer, for soil in ten stations at West Qurna-2 oil field. The regional distribution of TPHs at the present study showed a highest concentration of TPHs during spring at station 10 (41.86 μg/g dry weigh) while a lowest concentration observed during spring at station 1 (14.82 μg/g dry weigh). The seasonal distribution of TPHs show highest level in all stations during winter (30.350 μg/g) and the lowest levels observed during summer (24.167 μg/g). With respect to spatial variably of studied parameters, the parameters concentrations in studied stations gradually increased from station 1 to station 5, and then significantly decreased at station 6 and finally increased to station 10. The fluctuation in concentrations of concentrations in stations is due to distance from the flame of the flare which near to the stations 8, 9, 10 and far to the stations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, while the seasonal concentration arrange as following: winter >spring >autumn>summer. There were non-significant correlation between the TPH in soil and each of the soil texture compounds (sand, silt and clay), while there is significant correlation between the TPH in soil and TOC%. By comprising the result concentration of this study with literature reviews, the concentration levels lies within it and in other cases exceed it.