Heavy Metals, Trace Elements and Petroleum Hydrocarbons Pollutions in the Arabian Gulf: Review

The Arabian Gulf environmental status was assessed based on studies conducted in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Yemen during 1983-2011. This review examines all sorts of pollutions in the Arabian Gulf area over the last three decades. Approximately 50 published studies were reviewed in order to determine the pollution status in the Arabian Gulf regarding heavy metals and organic substances. Three types of environmental pollutions were addressed in this review as well as sources of pollutants and their effect on biological systems, marine organisms, and human health. Emphasis is placed on marine pollution, particularly toxic metals, and petroleum hydrocarbons contaminations. Major parts of this review discuss the consequences of the 1991 Gulf War on the environment, and the substantial changes associated with the marine habitats. Heavy metal contamination in the marine environment of the Arabian Gulf in wide varieties of marine organisms was reviewed. The effect of the Gulf War oil spill in 1991 on the concentration of heavy metals in marine organisms was the highlights of several studies reviewed. The effects of oil field fires in Kuwait following the 1991 Gulf War were evaluated through studies that investigated hydrocarbons concentrations and trace metals in samples of near shore sediments, bivalves, and fish collected from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, and Oman. Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were discussed in biota (fish and various bivalves) and coastal sediments from seven countries in the Gulf and Gulf of Oman. Major sources of soil pollution were also reviewed and the levels of those toxic pollutants were highlighted. Air quality, heavy metals air contaminations were also examined as well as the effect of Kuwaiti oil fires in 1991 on air quality in the Arabian Gulf region. The review have revealed different concentrations of pollutants, low, moderately, and chronically contaminated areas from oil and metals. It has also outlined effective sustainable management measures and goals as a first step in the evaluation of coastal, marine, soil, and air environment in the Arabian Gulf area.