Determination of some physical and chemical parameters in the water of southern Iraqi marshes

During the period March/2006 - Jan/2007, water samples were collected from selected sites along the Southern Iraqi marshes: 1-Umm El-ward, 2- Umm Al-Naaje (Al-Hewizah marsh), 3- Abu Cholan, 4- Abu Sobatt, 5- Al-Ghebaysh ( Central Marsh), 6- El-Nagarah, 7- El-Barghah and 8-Al-Maffraque ( Al-Hammar Marsh). Physical parameters investigated were pH and electric conductivity (EC in mS/cm), Total suspended solids (TSS) and Total dissolved solids (TDS), while chemical parameters investigated were: Sodium (Na^+), Potassium (K^+), Chlorides (CI^-), Sulfate(S04^-2) and Bicarbonate(HC0^-3), following the standard methods. For all samples and during the period of study, waters were almost basic with pH range 7.1- 7.4 which is higher during summer months. EC were range from 0.79 - 1.56 mS/cm in Umm El-Ward ( Hewizah marsh) to 1.95 - 4.61 mS/cm in ElNagharah ( Al-Hammar marsh). Sodium and potassium were within normal units set by WHO and Iraqi requlations, they decrease during summer while they increase during rainy months in Al- Hammar marsh sites 6-8 due to salty humidity from the Arabian Gulf. All other parameters behave in the same manner which do not exceed the world wide limits. Higher and lower TSS always recorded in sites 1 and 2 for the same marsh respectively. The higher and lower TDS were reported in sites 6 -7 of Al- Hammar marsh and sites 1 and 2 of Al-Hewizah marsh. Chloride and sulfate have the same trends as TDS while bicarbonate mostly behave in reverse manner due to different sources of water flushing through the marshes.