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

Abstract The levels and distribution of halogenated volatile liquid hydrocarbons (HVLHs) were determined in the vicinity of the inlets and outlets of power/desalination plants in Kuwait. A total of 384 seawater samples were collected from the designated sampling stations. The volatile chlorinated compounds present were removed and concentrated by using Grob's closed-loop stripping technique. The concentrated extract was analyzed by gas chromatography using ECD. The results indicated that chlorinated VLHs were ubiquitous in the coastal waters of Kuwait. The levels of total HVLHs in the seawater were significantly higher in the north in the vicinity of the Al-Zor power plant. The distribution of these compounds indicated that the main contributors were the cooling water discharges from the power/desalination plants. Trihalomethane compounds generally constituted the bulk of the total HVLHs. Among the 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, which receives the cooling waters of the Doha West power plant. Halogenated aromatic compounds were present in low levels in the inlets and slightly higher levels in the outlets of the power plant.