Distribution of some heavy metals pollution caused by Al-Daura Refinery in the surrounding region

Abstract EN

Due to the higher increase in the oil industry activities in Iraq, since there are a little information of the environmental status of the areas around the refinery locations, and the concerns of a possible environmental pollution that will cause health and life threats to living organisms, this study was carried out.

To understand the status of heavy metals pollution in areas inside and surrounding Al-Daura refinery activities, (17) testing locations were chosen, ten locationsoutsidethe refinery and sevenlocationsinside it.

One additional location was chosen in a rural (control) area, in the University of Baghdad, to compare between the heavy metals concentration in the study area and a sample from the rural area not affected by the pollution.

The soil samples have been taken from (5 and 60 cm) depth from the top surface of the soil.

Three samples were taken from each depth for each location to take an average of results.

All the samples of soil were taken during the period from Dec /2010 to Feb/2011.

The experimental work has been includes the heavy metals concentrations such as Zinc, Nickel, Lead and Cadmium, have been measured at each selected depth for each testing locations.

The results indicate that the mean concentration of Zn and Ni is (62.4 μg / g) and (100.5 μg / g) respectively and this values exceeded the mean allowable value by (Alloway, 1995 [2] ; Kabata-Pendias and Pendias, 1992 [6]).The most concentrations of Zn, Ni and Pb, with some exceptions, accumulate at the top soil and decrease with the depth except Cd.