Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Organic Pollution in the Shatt Al-Arab Waterway Using Remote Sensing Techniques and Geographic Information Systems

• Sadiq Jaafar Talib AL-Mousawi1*, Najla Jabr Mohammed AL-Amiri2, and Mohammed Ahmed Kadhim AL-Hayali3

  Author

This study was conducted to assess the environmental characteristics and pollution levels of the Shatt al-Arab waterway, extending from Al-Qurna district in the north to Al-Faw district in the south. Based on repeated field surveys, 29 study stations were selected along a 121.723 km stretch of the river, from Al-Sharsh sub-district in the north to Al-Wasiliya port in the south. The geographical locations of the stations were precisely determined using the Global Positioning System (GPS) and plotted on a map according to the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) coordinate system. Water samples were collected monthly for a full year (from October 30, 2024, to October 17, 2025), coinciding with the dates of satellite imagery acquisition by Landsat 8, to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of both the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and the chemical oxygen demand (COD). The lowest values for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) were recorded at the central stations (Al-Fayhaa, Teaching Hospital, Al-Sankar, and Mahijran), with Al-Fayhaa station recording the lowest concentration at approximately 0.19 mg L⁻¹ during September. In contrast, the highest values were recorded at the northern stations (Al-Sharsh, Al-Shafi, Nahr Omar, Jisr Saad, and the Basra Water Project), peaking at Jisr Saad and Nahr Omar stations at 7.7 mg L⁻¹ and 7.22 mg L⁻¹, respectively, during April. Elevated BOD5 values were also observed in the central regions during the spring and winter seasons. As for chemical oxygen demand (COD), the lowest value was recorded in the northern region at Sayed Ali Noor station at 76 mg L⁻¹ in January, while it reached its highest level in the central region at Al-Sankar station during November, reaching 1497 mg L⁻¹. The study also indicated a continuous increase in COD values in the southern regions throughout the year.

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