Environmental Impacts of Waste from Certain Power Plants on the Characteristics of the Northern Section of the Shatt al-Arab Waterway

Abstract

Water resources in Basra Governorate are of exceptional importance. This is due to the fact that it is the driest part of Iraq and the difficulty of providing water from other sources. Basra Governorate is located at the end of Iraq's river system. Therefore, in recent years, it has witnessed a new reality of freshwater scarcity and poor quality, in addition to its location within a hot, dry desert climate. Therefore, water properties were measured from several stations to determine the impact of Al-Hartha Power Station, Al-Najibiya Power Station, and the Paper Station on water quality in the Shatt al-Arab during the low tide period. Through analysis, it was found that all stations located on the banks of the Shatt al-Arab River have an impact through untreated waste on water properties, varying according to the selected variables (dissolved salts and dissolved oxygen). Dissolved oil, calcium ions, magnesium ions, sodium chloride, sulfate, phosphate ions, and nitrate ions showed a negative effect through increased concentrations of all variables except dissolved oxygen. This is because bacteria decompose petroleum materials at temperatures ranging from 30–40°C. High temperatures also increase the activity of organisms that decompose petroleum materials, while light compounds are subject to volatilization. A high concentration of dissolved oxygen in the aquatic environment indicates that the environment is suitable for aquatic organisms. One reason for the presence of dissolved oxygen is the mixing of the surface and bottom water layers due to the flow and movement of the water mass. The temporal boundary of the study was the dry season (July 2026), while the spatial boundary was the northern longitudinal section of the Shatt al-Arab River from Al-Qurna to the Karma Ali River.