Persian Gulf in Peril

The Persian Gulf's contained environment makes it a natural repository for pollutants. Now the Gulf's marine ecosystem is under stress from the impacts of unprecedented coastal reclamation, oil exploration and tanker movement, industrial developments and desalination projects.

More than one million barrels of oil are spilled into the Persian Gulf annually; up to 30% of sewage discharged into the sea is untreated; low levels of pollutants including pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organic phosphorous compounds have been found in marine organisms and biota; heavy metals such as mercury, copper and nickel are relatively high near the outfalls of desalination and power plants; and studies report elevated concentrations of cadmium, chromium, copper, arsenic, lead, nickel, vanadium, zinc and petroleum hydrocarbons in the sediments, fish tissue and water column.

As a result, the integrity of the Gulf terrestrial ecosystems faces various challenges such as loss of biodiversity of fauna and flora, soil degradation, sediment and nutrient loss, a sharp decline in plant life, invasive species and overgrazing. Persistent contaminants may also be incorporated into the food chain, affecting human health.

The study presents a systematic procedure on how to access acute and chronic impacts on marine ecosystems, introducing multi-criteria decision-making methodology useful to environmental agencies in developing a regulatory framework in the region.

The author, Ekram Danish, notes: "A comprehensive study is needed for all the persistent metals, as well as organic and inorganic chemicals, available in Arabian crude oil. The possible effects from accumulation of different contaminants for a long period in the Gulf water and sediments cannot be ignored. Binding of metals to organic materials, precipitation, complexation and ionic interactions are all important phenomena that must be considered carefully in laboratory and field studies and in the fate of these compounds into marine environment."