A Study of the Concentration of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Tripoli Port

Abstract

Marine oil pollution is considered one of the most dangerous and common types of pollution. Problems associated with it have appeared since its discovery and have extended to include all stages of production, transportation, refining, manufacturing, storage, marketing, and even the disposal of used products. The continuous increase in each of these activities has led to an increase in the amount of oil pollutants in the waters of beaches, seas, and oceans. It has been proven that the waters of the seas and oceans are exposed to pollution with millions of tons of oil annually, especially since most factories and refineries are located along the coasts. This research focused on the concentration rate of petroleum hydrocarbons inside the Tripoli Port basin and its surroundings, where specific locations inside the port were selected, particularly the active docks which experience high ship traffic. Samples were taken from the selected sites according to standard procedures and then analyzed at the Oil Research Center. The results showed that the petroleum hydrocarbon concentration values were below the maximum allowed limit according to international standards, specifically as mentioned in Annex I of the MARPOL Convention, which stipulates that the maximum allowed concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons in the marine environment is 15 parts per million (ppm), equivalent to 0.15 mg/L.