Estimation of levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the waters of Lake Habbaniyah in Anbar Governorate

In this study, 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in the waters of Lake Habbaniyah, which are considered highly polluted materials. Three sites were selected in the heart of the lake, each site had two stations, the surface as one and the other at the bottom at a depth of four to five meters. The study lasted for 12 months from November 2022 to October 2023. The Level’s PAHs were analyzed and measured by Gas Chromatography (GC). The study showed that the lake water contains only five PAHs, and that the tricyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were within the permissible limits, but the tetracyclic and pentacyclic compounds had exceeded the permissible limits. In this study, the ratio (LMH/HMW) was less than (1), indicating that the sources of PAHs in the lake It was mainly of thermal origin. Among the list of micropollutants noted for water quality pollution are the group (PAHs) [1]. PAHs are hazardous organic compounds that contain aromatic rings fused to their molecules [2]. These polynuclear compounds are a class of organic chemicals consisting of two or more condensed rings that can be distributed in particles, sediments and water columns and do not contain heterogeneous atoms or carry substituted groups [3].