Afnan Freije

Heavy metal, trace element and petroleum hydrocarbon pollution in the Arabian Gulf: Review

Abstract The Arabian Gulf environmental status was assessed based on studies conducted in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates (UAE) during 1983–2011. This review examines all sorts of pollutions in the Arabian Gulf area over the last three decades. Approximately 50 published studies were reviewed in order to determine the pollution status in the Arabian Gulf regarding heavy metals and organic substances. Three types of environmental pollutions including marine and coastal, soil, and air were addressed in this review as well as sources of pollutants and their effect on biological systems, marine organisms, and human health. Emphasis is placed on marine pollution, particularly toxic metal, and petroleum hydrocarbon contaminations. Major parts of this review discuss the consequences of the 1991 Gulf War on the environment, and the substantial changes associated with the marine habitats. The effects of oil field fires in Kuwait following the 1991 Gulf War were evaluated through studies that investigated hydrocarbons concentration and trace metals in samples of near shore sediments, bivalves, and fish collected from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, and Oman. Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were discussed in biota (fish and various bivalves) and coastal sediments from six countries in the Gulf. The review has revealed different concentrations of pollutants, low, moderately, and chronically contaminated areas from oil and metals. It has also outlined effective sustainable management measures and goals as a first step in the evaluation of coastal, marine, soil, and air environment in the Arabian Gulf area.

Fatty acid compositions of Turbo coronatus Gmelin 1791

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the fatty acid composition of the edible snail Turbo coronatus from the Bahrain sea.Design/methodology/approach – Total lipid content was extracted and methyl esters of fatty acids (FAMEs) were prepared and analyzed by gas chromatography.Findings – Gas‐liquid chromatography shows that saturated fatty acids (SFA) are the major forms of fatty acids, followed by polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). The most abundant PUFA are linolenic acid (18:3n‐3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA 20:5n‐3), linoleic acid (18:2n‐6), and arachidonic acid (ARA 20:4n‐6), the MUFA 16:1 (n‐7), and the SFA 16:0, 14:0, 18:0 and 20:0. The sum of EPA and DHA is 8.04 per cent. The n‐3/n‐6 fatty acids ratio approximately (2:1) is within the range of marine molluscs. The principle differences in the fatty acid composition of Turbo coronatus than most marine molluscs is their low DHA (0.23±0.01 per cent), low PUFA (40.92 per cent), and high SFA contents ...

Global warming awareness among the University of Bahrain science students

Abstract This study was designed to investigate the awareness regarding global warming among the College of Science students at University of Bahrain. A total of 143 science students were examined using a questionnaire that covered three aspects of global warming including causes, impacts, and solutions. The study included 51, 28, 40 and 24 students from the departments of biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics respectively. The results have shown that 55 ± 10.18% of all students examined answered the questions correctly of which 51 ± 10.28% were in the first year, while 60 ± 7.4% were in their fourth year indicating a direct positive impact of university education. A significant dependence (p ⩽ 0.05) was recorded between first and fourth year students’ answers. The results have shown that fourth year biology students were the most knowledgeable, a fact that can be attributed to their academic curriculum. Therefore, the study has recommended integrating environmental concepts into the university curriculum for all students irrespective of their academic specialization in order to increase the environmental awareness.

Fatty Acid Compositions of Raw Fish White Sardinella (Oom), Fish Paste (Tareeh), and Fish Sauce (Mehiawh) : Fermented Fish Products Rich in Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

docosahexaenoic acid; icosapentaenoic acid; monounsaturated fatty acid; omega 3 fatty acid; omega 6 fatty acid; polyunsaturated fatty acid; saturated fatty acid; sodium chloride; Article; Bahrain; enzyme activity; fatty acid desaturation; fermentation; fish product; gas chromatography; homogenate; hydrolysis; lipid composition; nonhuman; nutritional value; prospective study