Investigation of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons Content in Rivers and Sea Waters of Black Sea Coastal Region Ureki-Shekvetili Lela Mtsariashvili, Mariam Elizbarashvili, Teimuraz Jakhutashvili, Nodar Kekelidze, Manana Chkhaidze Ivane Javakhisvili Tbilisi State University, 0179, Tbilisi, Georgia Speaker - Lela Mtsariashvili "Black Sea Outlook" 3rd Bi-annual BS Scientific Conference and UP-GRADE BS-SCENE Project Joint Conference 31 Oct - 4 Nov 2011, Odessa, Ukraine

Figure 1. Schematic arrangement of Black Sea

r. Supsa r. Natanebi Sea 1 Sea 2 Sea – 1 place of Natanebi river inflow into the sea, right coast; Sea – 2 costal zone between the Natanebi and Supsa rivers (1 km length from Shekvetili to Ureki direction); v. Qvemo Natanebi near the road bridge on the Natanebi river; v. Khidmaghala near the road bridge on the Supsa river. Figure 2. Schematic arrangement of control points

Methodology Preparing of extracts For establish TPH concentrations from water samples extracts were prepared according to the МАDЕР-ЕРН-98-1 method. Quantitative analyses Quantitative analyses of TPH were carried out by the gravimetric method.

Table 1. TPH concentration data and average values # Research objects Concentration, mg/L Average values, mg/L IX.08XI.08II.09V.09VII.09X-XI.09 1R. Natanebi R. Supsa0.2< Sea – Sea – 20.2<

Figure 3. Distribution of TPH minimal (min), average (av) and maximal (max) values by the control points Figure 4. Distribution of TPH concentration by the time

Table 2. The comparison of results received in the present work with the literature data #Research objectTPH, mg/LLiterature 1R. Supsa< In the present work 2R. Supsa< [1][1] 3Black Sea< In the present work 4Black Sea [3] 5Black Sea in Batumi area0.35[2][2] 6Black Sea in Batumi area0.13 averige[2] 7Black Sea< [1][1] 8Black Sea near R. Natanebi inflow4.72[1] [1] Ministry of economic development of Georgia, Department of tourism and resorts, Project of sanitation protection of resort Ureki, Executor scientific research company GAMA, Vol. II, Tbilisi December 2006; [2] I. MikadzeEcology,Quality Control Educational University Of Georgia, Second edition, Tbilisi, 2006; [3] G. Supatashvili, G. Kajaia Environment and the human, published by TSU, Tbilisi 2001.

Conclusions 1.In work there is investigated the content of TPH in Natanebi and Supsa rivers, and Black Sea waters; 2.It is shown, that the TPH concentration varies: in the Natanebi river water – from 0.2 up to 0.5 mg/L; in the Supsa river water – from <0.1 up to 0.5 mg/L; in sea water - from <0.1 up to 0.6 mg/L. 3.It is suggested, that the presence of petroleum hydrocarbons in river water is caused by the impact of both natural (natural precipitations of oil located near the rivers), and anthropogenic (wastes polluted with the petroleum hydrocarbons, which flows from the plants located nearby the rivers) factors; 4.The presence of petroleum hydrocarbons in sea water is caused by the impact of rivers, but the minor increase probably is activated by the other reasons (by the local pollution, or the pollution from the Batumi petroleum refinery); 5.There is shown, that in river waters the increased values of TPH in summer period and decreased values in autumn are stipulated by the variation of water level. The same reasons cause the similar changes in sea waters.

This work has been executed within the framework of project #GNSF/ST07/5-199 Complex ecological and microclimatic research of resort zone Ureki-Shekvetili Thank you for your attention !