Evaluation of Seawater Quality of Kuwait Bay Using Physio- Chemical Parameters

Abstract

This study emphasizes on the effects of current anthropogenic activities altering seawater physiochemical parameters around Kuwait Bay. The research aims to evaluate the spatial variations in seawater quality in Kuwait Bay. Fifty-two seawater samples were collected from 1-meter depth, between April and May 2017 and analyzed for Total Suspended Solids (TSS), nutrients: Ammonia (NH3), Nitrate (NO3), Nitrite (NO2) and Silicate (SiO2), and designated trace elements: Chromium (Cr), Zinc (Zn), Selenium (Se), Nickel (Ni), Arsenic (As), and Mercury (Hg). In addition, five realtime monitoring buoys data were used to assess seawater quality based on Kuwait Environmental Public Authority (KEPA) standards to evaluate six parameters: turbidity, Dissolved Oxygen, pH, salinity, conductivity, and seawater temperature. The results of this study reveal that: (1) average level of physio-chemical parameters: temperature, salinity, conductivity, turbidity, Dissolved Oxygen and pH in Kuwait Bay water were 27.8 0C, 40.2 ppt, 60.2 μs/cm, 5.9 NTU, 6 mg/l and 8.2, respectively; (2) average level of nutrients; silicate, nitrate, nitrite and ammonia were 333 μg/l, 83 μg/l, 235 μg/l and 43.5 μg/l, respectively; (3) average level of elements found in Kuwait Bay’s seawater were 14.7 mg/l for Barium (Ba), 380 mg/l for Calcium (Ca), 9727 mg/l for Sodium (Na), 411 mg/l for Potassium (K) and 1432 mg/l for Magnesium (Mg); (4) The total suspended solids (TSS) had an average of 25.3 mg/l; (5) mean concentrations of the elements in TSS decrease in the order of Cr (15.6), Zn (5.4), Se (4.5), Ni (3.3), As (1.2), Co (0.2) and Hg (0.1mg/kg) and they are 1.6 to 22 times lower than their soil background values in, while Pb was detected in 2 samples only with average concentration of 0.7 mg/kg; and (6) Cr shows maximum enrichment relative to the upper continental crustal component (Mn). The distribution of pollutants in Kuwait Bay seems to be controlled and produced mainly by the anthropogenic and recreational activities.