Civil and Architectural Engineering Department-College of Engineering-Sultan Qaboos University
Measurement of Water Quality Parameters in the Gulf of Oman
Abdullah Hamoud Al Yaqoubi
Abstract
With the 'increase concern on coastal environment, the focus on oil pollution in the coastal
region of Sultanate of Oman has been growing in recent years. The present study assesses the
existing water quality parameters along the coast of the Sultanate of Oman and is thus useful for
the government agencies dealing with the coastal environment. Conductivity, Temperature and
Depth (CTD) probe was used to study the water quality in the Gulf of Oman. The probe was
equipped with temperature, conductivity, pressure, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and chlorophyll-a
sensors. Samples of seawater from the Gulf of Oman were analyzed to determine the amounts
and concentrations of heavy metals such as vanadium and lead that are believed to be the
indicators of oil pollution. The range of temperature over the water column in the Gulf of Oman
was 29°C to 31°C in the summer and 23°C to 26°C in the winter. It was found that the average
salinity over the water column of seawater is slightly higher in the region close to the capital city
of Muscat than near Ras al-Hadd. The concentration of dissolved oxygen was found to be
generally close to the lower limit of a healthy marine life. Furthermore, the region close to Sifah
(south of Muscat) was found to be under high environmental stress by virtue of the lack of
dissolved oxygen (values of DO close to 4 parts per million (ppmj), The concentrations of lead
and vanadium were found to be extremely high at the stations close to high maritime traffic
regions along the coast.