Study the regional and seasonal variation of polychlorinated biphenyl in sediments of the Eastern AL-Hammar Marshes, Iraq

Wetland sediments can become contaminated with contaminants that pose a risk to plants and animals and are present in groundwater and fresh surface water entering the wetland. The current study aims to detect PCB contaminants in the sediments of the Al-Hamar Marsh in southern Iraq from the winter season of 2021 until the fall season of 2022 during the day from five stations in the Al-Hamar Marsh, which are (1 - Al-Harir, 2 - Al-Mashab 3 - Al-Nakara, 4 - Baraka 1, 5 - Baraka 2). PCBs were analyzed by GC-MASS. The results showed that the highest rate of PCBs concentrations was (2.84) in the winter season and the lowest rate was (0.14 ng/g d. w). The concentrations of PCBs at the study stations ranged (2.34 ng/g d.w - 3.9 ng/g d.w) during the winter season. (0.01 ng/g d.w-3.7 ng/g d.w) during the spring, (0.01 ng/g d.w- 1.46 ng/g d.w) in the summer, and (0.02 ng/g d.w -5.78 ng/g d.w) during the summer. In the fall, the soil texture was measured and the results showed that the sediments of the Al-hammar marsh were silty clay deposits. This study is a first of its kind in the region and could be give available information and used as a baseline study in the futures.