Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the surface water and sediment along Euphrates River system: Occurrence, sources, ecological and health risk assessment

Ruqayah Ali Grmasha; Marwan H Abdulameer; Csilla Stenger-Kovács; Osamah J Al-Sareji; Zaid Al-Gazali; Raed A Al-Juboori; Mónika Meiczinger; Khalid S Hashim

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114568

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the surface water and sediment along Euphrates River system: Occurrence, sources, ecological and health risk assessment

Mar Pollut Bull. 2023 Feb:187:114568. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114568. Epub 2023 Jan 11.

Authors

Ruqayah Ali Grmasha¹, Marwan H Abdulameer², Csilla Stenger-Kovács³, Osamah J Al-Sareji⁴, Zaid Al-Gazali⁵, Raed A Al-Juboori⁶, Mónika Meiczinger⁷, Khalid S Hashim⁸

Affiliations

¹ University of Pannonia, Faculty of Engineering, Center for Natural Science, Research Group of Limnology, H-8200 Veszprem, Egyetem u. 10, Hungary; Environmental Research and Studies Center, University of Babylon, Al-Hillah, Iraq. Electronic address: ruqayah.grmasha@unswalumni.com.
² College of Environmental Science, Al-Qasim Green University, Iraq.
³ University of Pannonia, Faculty of Engineering, Center for Natural Science, Research Group of Limnology, H-8200 Veszprem, Egyetem u. 10, Hungary; ELKH-PE Limnoecology Research Group, H-8200 Veszprém, Egyetem utca 10, Hungary.
⁴ Environmental Research and Studies Center, University of Babylon, Al-Hillah, Iraq; Sustainability Solutions Research Lab, Faculty of Engineering, University of Pannonia, Egyetem str. 10, Veszprem H, 8200, Hungary.
⁵ Nasiriyah Teaching Hospital, Ministry of health, Al-Nasiriyah, Thi-Qar, Iraq.
⁶ Water and Environmental Engineering Research Group, Department of Built Environment, Aalto University, P.O. Box 15200, Aalto, FI-00076 Espoo, Finland; NYUAD Water Research Center, New York University-Abu Dhabi Campus, P.O. Box 129188, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
⁷ Sustainability Solutions Research Lab, Faculty of Engineering, University of Pannonia, Egyetem str. 10, Veszprem H, 8200, Hungary.
⁸ School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, Liverpool John Moores University, UK; Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Babylon, Al-Hillah, Iraq.

PMID: 36638718
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114568

Abstract

This study presented for the first time a comprehensive measurement campaign of 16 PAHs along the Euphrates River for five months, in both water and sediment samples. Our study revealed that the PAHs contamination increased along the flow direction due to the increasing non-point pollution and the return flows of agriculture. The 5-6 rings PAHs were dominant in water and sediment samples with an average of 42 % and 50 %, respectively. The diagnostic ratios of PAHs suggest that the pollution of these compounds originated mainly from petroleum product combustions. The carcinogenic PAHs formed 46 % and 55 % of the total measured compounds in water and sediment samples, respectively, which highlights potential ecological and human health risks. Based on sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), most sites exhibit an effect range between low and medium. The calculated incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for adult and children were in the 10^-2-10^-3 range, which is 3-6-fold higher than what was reported in the literature. These observations call for urgent attention from environmental authorities of countries sharing this key water source in Western Asia.

Keywords: Diagnostic ratios; Euphrates River; Human health risk assessment; Iraq; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

MeSH terms

Adult
Child
China
Environmental Monitoring
Geologic Sediments
Humans
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons* / analysis
Risk Assessment
Rivers
Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical* / analysis

Substances

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Water
Water Pollutants, Chemical