DETERMINATION OF PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS IN WATER OF NEW DAMIETTA HARBOUR, EGYPT

DETERMINATION OF PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS
IN WATER OF NEW DAMIETTA HARBOUR, EGYPT
TAREK OTHMAN SAID*1 AND MOHAMED ABDEL FATTAH HAMED2
National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries,
Alexandria branch1
and Suez and Aqaba Gulfs branch2
, Egypt
E-mail: [email protected]
Keywords: Chlorinated pesticides, PAHs, water, new Damietta Harbour, Egypt.
ABSTRACT
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) which include chlorinated pesticides and
petroleum hydrocarbons were determined in water samples collected from Damietta
Harbour during 2005. Concentration of total pesticides ranged from 0.02 to 0.07 ng/L and
from 1.09 to 201.82 ng/L during winter and summer seasons, respectively. The increasing
order of total pesticides was: THCHs < TC < total DDTs with concentrations ranged from 0.004-3.20 ng/L, 0.001-3.93 ng/L and 0.002-194.68 ng/L, respectively in the area of study. The average concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons were below the admissible environmental levels. They ranged from 2.17-72.89 µg/L and from 5.67-87.56 µg/L during January and July 2005, respectively. However, concentrations of PAHs were below the detection limit in the present study.