The nitrogen and phosphate forms in water of Shatt al-Arab River in Basra, Iraq

Abstract EN

Sixty five water samples were collected from the river Shatt Al-Arab for the period of October 2011 to October 2012, the data were collected on a monthly base form five stations Qurna, Al- Sindebad, Abu Alkhaseeb, Al-Seba and Al-Fao.

Some physiochemical parameters were measured as ammonia, nitrate, total Nitrogen (sum of all Nitrogen forms : NH4, NO2, NO3 and organic Nitrogen), phosphate (PO4-P) Organic phosphorus and total phosphorus.

The result indicates that organic form of Nitrogen is the dominant percentage, ranges from 65 % to 73 % and Ammonium range from 27 % to 33 %.

The percentage of organic Phosphors form is the dominate form 84 % to 98 %, compared to Orthophosphurs form.

This shows the presence of these parameters in high concentration thus indicate that the river suffer from organic pollution.