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The hydrocarbon levels in the clam Meretrix meretrix at selected locations along the Saudi Arabian Gulf coastline for the period 1981/90 (prior to the 1991 Gulf War) are compared to those from the war and post-war periods. Five of the nine sites in the study were affected bythe war oil spill. There was no significant impact in the n-alkane levels. However dibenzothiophenes and phenanthrenes increased significantly in the clam tissue during the war period. These values returnedto pre-war levels after a short period of time (within two years). The data from the sites affected by the oil spill are compared with data from the other four unaffected sites in the study that are locatedfurther to the south. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]