Ph.D thesis at the faculty of Science at the University of Basrah (Distribution of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in water, sediments and some aquatic biota in Shatt Al-Arab River, Iraq), and showed the researcher's thesis (Rafid Ahmed Taha). A study of these toxic compounds (PCBs) along of Shatt al-Arab River, and six sites were selected from Al-Qurna to Al-Faw for study, samples were collected seasonally for one year. Thesis aims to Identifying the concentrations of PCBs, diagnosing their types, and distribution in water, sediments and aquatic biota (Phragmites australis, Oreochromis niloticus, and Liza abu). TOC concentrations, sediment texture and some of the main environmental factors (pH, DO, Temperature, Salinity, Turbidity and E.C) were measured. This study concluded that the concentrations of PCBs in sediments were higher compared with water and biota. The sediment texture was silty clay. Tri and hexa-chlorine compounds were predominated, then hepta- and tetra-chlorine in a lesser percentage, then the rest of the compounds. and recommended that PCBs should be studied in other water bodies and other biota to know their accumulation of these pollutants and effects on public health, as well as setting up a program to monitor and evaluate water quality and end the discharge of pollutants into the river and its canals because it represents an important source of drinking water and irrigation.
This study is a first of its kind in the Shatt al-Arab River and the region and could gave available information and could be uses as abaseline study in the futures for the subsequent studies.