Twenty-five of water samples from different wells of different depths located
in AJ- Gassim region of Central Saudi Arabia were analyzed sepctrophotometrically.
The three fundamental bands characteristic of aromatic hydrocarbons nuclei 240-250
nm were recorded. However, the very slight difference in absorption is observed. This
result may be may from solvent interaction, as the medium analyzed is an aqueous
solution. Absorption shifts towards longer wavelength due to fusion of aromatic nuclei
in polycyclic systems around 280 nm were also observed. The ground water samples
exhibited pH values ranging from slightly alkaline to a strongly alkaline, and a wide
range of EC (1.0 - 17.7 dS m"), The average cations content in water samples were
325.5, 186.9, 696.6, and 126.1 ppm for Ca, Mg. Na, and K, respectively. The total
anions in water samples ranges from 19-2774, and 24-165 ppm. for HC03- and SOot
, respectively. Polycydic aromatic hydrocarbons were detected in groundwater and
the data were discussed in relation to the possibility of orgonic chemicals
contamination by direct mixing of sewage water with underground water andlor
leaching of agricultural chemical fertilizers and pesticides to reach the underground
waterbed,