International Journal of Marine Science 2015, Vol.5, No.49: 1-9
8
with phosphorus, nitrates in excess amounts can
accelerate eutrophication, causing dramatic increases
in aquatic plant growth and changes in the types of
plants and animals that live in the stream. This, in turn,
affects dissolved oxygen, temperature, and other
indicators. Excess nitrates can cause hypoxia (low
levels of dissolved oxygen) and can become toxic to
warm-blooded animals at higher concentrations (10
mg/L) or higher) under certain conditions. It is the
most oxidized from of nitrogen, it come from chemical
fertilizers, agriculture lands, industrial water and
sewage water. Nitrate estimation helps in the
observation of thee from and oxidization degree in
stream and ground water. In natural water (un polluted)
contain low nitrate, in case of increasing it conc.
Caused (methaemoglobinamia) for ting childe and also
caused Eutrophication; which caused secondary pollution.
Nitrate conc. Range (3.2-110.12) mg/L during study
period which considered higher values compare to the
study result during 2004 which ranges from (3 -10)
mg/L in Shatt AL-Arab water. Results found that most
of downstream stations of Shatt AL-Arab river showed
higher nitrogen compound compared with the upstream
stations because they are more impacted by pollutants
from domestic sewage released from Basrah city center.
Also, climatic changes as well as reduction in water
income to the river have resulted in alteration in
nitrogen compounds concentrations, this conclusion
was in agreement with Hameed and Aljorany (2011)
and Al-Hejuje (2015).
Phosphorus (PO
4
) has a complicated story. Pure,
"elemental" phosphorus (P) is rare. In nature, phosphorus
usually exists as part of a phosphate molecule (PO
4
).
Phosphorus in aquatic systems occurs as organic
phosphate and inorganic phosphate. Organic phosphate
consists of a phosphate molecule associated with a
carbon-based molecule, as in plant or animal tissue.
Phosphate that is not associated with organic material
is inorganic. Inorganic phosphorus is the form required
by plants. Animals can use either organic or inorganic
phosphate. Both organic and inorganic phosphorus can
either be dissolved in the water or suspended (attached
to particles in the water column).It come from the
weathering and process on pH degree. When pH range
(6-8) the boundary forms 10% H
2
PO4
-1
and 90%
HPO4
-2
this form is the mean nutrient for organisms.
Phosphate compounds more in the natural and sewage
water and cause a secondary pollution that make basic
nutrition for increasing organisms growth which
depends on light with un desirable amounts some times.
Phosphate concentration range (0.07 -3.67) mg/L
during (2004) and in Al-Qurna reach (0.193) mg/L to
(5.15) mg/L for Tigris before joining Euphrates. The
concentrations were range from 0.12 mg/L at station 1
to 18.92 at station 2 .The decrease of phosphorus
concentrations, which is more distant from the discharge
points of effluents, may be due to the self-purifier
capacity of the receiving stream. Nitrates and Phosphates
appear with gradual increases especially during the
months of April and May when fertilizers in lands
around the river are used and accidentally spill into water.
Sulfate (SO
4
) is formed from earth crust and organic
compounds containing sulfate, which come from the
industrial waste its conc. Range from several grams to
some thousand grams. WHO considered (400) mg/L as
the highest limit for drinking water. In Shatt Al-Arab
water sulfate conc. Ranges from (80.15- 4462.23)
mg/L being the lowest in Al-Sebah and the highest in
paper factory. While it reached (674) mg/L for Shatt
Al-Arab water during 2004 (Al-Mayahi, 2005).and
High concentrations of sulfate recorded in Winter may
be due to high petroleum compounds used as fuel and
released sulfate compounds to the environments , or
may be due to wet precipitation during Winter season .
High concentration of sulfate may be due to electrical
power plants (Al-Najebbia power plant and Turkish
power plant) that released sulfate compound to the
environment, also the agricultural activities at these
areas have a role in the increasing sulfate compounds
(Al-Hejuje ,2015
).
As conclusion results showed some fluctuation in some
of the data during different seasons at different
locations of the estuary, also the results indicate that the
water is Non-polluted and can be used for Domestic,
Irrigation and Fisheries.
References
Al-Hejuje M.M.,2015," Application of Water Quality and Pollution Indices
to Evaluate the Water and Sediments Status in the Middle Part of Shatt
Al-Arab River" . Ph.D. Thesis . University of Basrah, college of
science, pp.214
Al-Kazaeh D. K. K.,2014, Chemical and Physical properties of common
water in area and evaluation degree for Irrigation in Basra , Journal of
Basra Research (Scientific) N.40 ,Part 2,B.
Al-Mayah A .,2004, Salinity balance of tided flow Shatt Al-Arab water way.
Basra city. Summary report.
Al-Mayahi M.A.T.,2005, " Concentration of total hydrocarbons in some
region of Shatt Al-Arab River and its effected on benthic algae ".M .Sc
