Energy Sources, Vol.19, No.8, 851-860, 1997
Distribution of selected trace metals and its relation with environmental pollution
Middle East crude oils, tar balls, and marine and fresh waters were analyzed and V, Ni, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Zn were determined. Marine water samples have V, Ni, Mg, Cu, and Fe at 1900, 1600, 1.2, 110, and 112 times the natural levels, respectively On the other hand, freshwater samples have V, Ni, Mg, and Fe at 10, 11, 2, and 13.7 times the natural levels, respectively. There is no Zn pollution in either the marine or fresh water, while the Nile River has no Cu pollution. Crude oils have contents 1.3, 1.1, and 5 times the natural levels for V, Ni, and Fe, respectively. Tar balls have Mg and Cu at 15 and 2 times the natural levels. Generally, V/Ni, V/Mg, and (V/Ni + Fe + Mg) indices calculated for marine and fresh waters have identical values (< 1), while higher values were obtained for tar and crude oils. These data, especially for water samples, may reflect a progressive contamination of oil during tanker loading operations, fuel oils, and waste discharge in the studied area. Also these data may serve as a guide for detecting anomalies to human-made pollution.