PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF OIL CONTAMINATION LEVELS IN SOILS CONTAMINATED WITH OIL LAKES IN THE GREATER BURGAN OIL-FIELDS, KUWAIT

Measurements taken for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), total orga nic carbon (TOC) and trace metals [vanadium (V), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb)] in 40 soil samples are used to delineate oil conta mination levels and state of oil penetration in soils heavily contamin ated with oil lakes in Al-Ahmadi and Burgan oil fields. All soil horiz ons in Al-Ahmadi profile contain very high concentrations of TPHs down to the depth interval 80-95 cm. In contrast, TPH contaminations are r estricted to the upper 50 cm layer in the Burgan profiles, then drop s harply to natural background levels in subsequent soil horizons. A str ong and positive relationship exists between the high TOC and TPH cont ents of the two profiles. The two soil profiles contain contaminations of V and Ni as well as high concentrations of Cd and Pb. Possible sou rces of these metals are oil contaminants from the lakes and/or deposi ted airborne oil fallouts. V/Ni ratios of the surface tar sludge and t he soil horizons in the two profiles cannot be used in identifying ter restrial oil spills or as indicators of oil contamination in Kuwaiti s oils.