Contribution of power/desalination plants to the levels of halogenated volatile liquid hydrocarbons in the coastal areas of Kuwait

The levels and distribution of halogenated volatile liquid hydrocarbons (HV LHs) were determined in the vicinity of the inlets and outlets of power/des alination plants in Kuwait. A total of 384 seawater samples were collected from the designated sampling stations. The volatile chlorinated compounds p resent were removed and concentrated by using Grob's closed-loop stripping technique. The concentrated extract was analyzed by gas chromatography usin g ECD. The results indicated that chlorinated VLHs were ubiquitous in the c oastal waters of Kuwait. The levels of total HVLHs in the seawater were sig nificantly higher in the north in the vicinity of the Al-Zor power plant. T he distribution of these compounds indicated that the main contributors wer e the cooling water discharges from the power/desalination plants. Trihalom ethane compounds generally constituted the bulk of the total HVLHs. Among t he trihalomethanes, bromoform dominated (about 87% of trihalomethanes). The concentration of HVLHs was significantly higher at the outlets as compared to the inlets. The levels were consistently higher in Sulaibekhat Bay, whi ch receives the cooling waters of the Doha West power plant. Halogenated ar omatic compounds were present in low levels in the inlets and slightly high er levels in the outlets of the power plant.