Environmental Assessment of Al-Hammar Marsh Sediments, Southern Iraq

Concentrations and distribution of major, minor, and trace elements were studied in thirteen sediment samples from Al-Hammar Marsh. Multivariate statistical techniques such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Agglomerative Hierarchal Cluster Analysis (AHCA) as well as pollution analysis such as Enrichment Factor (EF) were used to process the data and identify the possible sources of elemental constituents in sediment samples.Results of chemical analysis revealed that Major element mean concentrations were in the order of Ca Si K Mg and minor elements were in the order of Al Fe S Cl Ti P Mn Sr N and trace elements were in the order of Cr Ni Zr V Zn Cu Br Co Pb Mo As U Se Cd. Mainly increasing of Salinity in Marsh water and sediments led to increasing of Mg, S, Ca, Br, Cl concentrations in Al-Hammar Marsh Sediments. Multivariate statistical techniques PCA and AHCA revealed that V, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Pb, Co, Fe, Ni, and Cu were most probably derived from fertilizers and petroleum extraction wastes in and near the study site. U (at StR1R) and Sr came from fertilizers and for U might be from military weapon. Br, Cd, Cl, Ca, S, P and N indicated anthropogenic source (fertilizers, animal waste, and domestic sewage). While Mg, Cr, Mn were mainly associated with anthropogenic activities (fertilizers and animal wastes). On the other hand Al, Si, Ti, K، and Zr were primarily of natural sourcing from erosion of parent rocks. Enrichment Factor gave compatible results with PCA and AHCA findings and revealed that Al-Hammar Marsh sediments were highly contaminated by S, Mg, Cl, Ca, P, Br, Se, Mo, Ni, Co, Cu, and Sr. and it were minimally contaminated by Zn, V, U, Cr (excluding SR3R), As, Fe, Mn, and N.