Impact of the Badra oil field on plant and water pollution in Wasit Governorate, Badra District

Abstract

To investigate the pollution status of heavy metals (vanadium, cadmium, lead, nickel, and arsenic), and to determine the impact of gases and volatile vapors from the Badra oil field in Badra District, Wasit Governorate, on plant and water pollution, and to measure the concentrations of these Metals in plants and water, and to compare these heavy metal concentrations with the international limits described by the (WHO, 2007) it was noted that heavy metals (vanadium, cadmium, lead, nickel, and arsenic) are considered pollutants of plants and water if their concentrations exceed (2, 0.2, 0.3, 10, and 1) mg/kg dry matter for plants and (0.05, 0.003, 0.01, 0.07, and 0.01) mg/L for water, respectively, three plant sites were selected at distances of (400, 800, and 1600) The source of pollution and water were measured from two locations (400 m and 800 m), in addition to a control sample at a distance of (3000 m). Soil and water samples were collected from the southeastern and northwestern sections of the field, in addition to the control sample. The results of the plant analysis showed a high average total concentration of heavy metals (vanadium, cadmium, lead, nickel, arsenic) at the studied locations in the southeastern part of the Badra oil field. At the first location (400 m), the concentrations were (14.69, 3.23, 15.51, 12.26, 4.55) and (11.14, 1.99, 13.31, 9.31, 3.53) mg/kg dry matter for the plants A. maurorum and Schanginia aegyptica, respectively, compared to the northwestern section at the same distance, with the first location (400 m) showing the highest concentration. As for the water samples, the analysis results showed elevated concentrations of heavy metals (vanadium, cadmium, lead, nickel, and arsenic) at the studied sites in the southeastern part of the Badra oil field. At the first site (400 m), the concentrations of these heavy metals in the water reached (0.092, 0.094, 0.093, 0.761, and 0.053) mg/L, respectively. In comparison, the northwestern part of the field, at the same distance, recorded lower values.