ASSESSMENT OF POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS OF BOTTLED WATER AVAILABLE IN IRAQI LOCAL MARKETS

The present study is intended to assess the type and content of 16 specific polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in bottled drinking water available in Iraqi local markets (The study included eight local brands, one tap water sample, and three imported brands). The evaluation is conducted using gas chromatography, and the results are compared against the standards set by US Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organization. The results indicate that most of the samples of bottled drinking water in Iraqi local markets contained polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) compounds, sample 1 contained PAHs High (2.21 g/L) and highest content of Acenaphthylene and Anthracene of concentrations 0.445 and 0.325 g/L respectively , sample 5 contained PAHs Low (0.99 g/L), the presence of the naphthalene compound (2 rings) was observed in most of the study samples, and sample 1 contained the highest concentration (0.275 g/L), the content of tricyclic compounds (3 rings) prevailing in most samples 31.25%, quaternary compounds (4 rings) 18.75%, five-cyclic compounds (5 rings) 12.5%, hexacyclic (6.25%). The absence of compounds such as Dibenzo (A, H) anthracene, Chrysene, Benzo (A) Pyrene, Benzo (G, H) Perylene and Benzo (K) Fluoranthenen in all the samples is a positive finding. While the compounds Anthracene, Phenanthrene (3 rings), and Benzo (A) Anthracene (5 rings), were present and did not conform to the standard specifications of US Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organization in more than 50% of studied samples.