Environmental assessment of the Shatt al-Arab water resource by measuring concentrations of some pollutants from heavy metals in Scomberoides commersonnianus fish tissues

Abstract

The concentrations of heavy metals (cadmium, copper, chrome, Iron, manganese, nickel, lead and Zink) in several parts of body (muscles, liver, ovaries, intestine, and gills) of Scomberoides commersonnianus hunted from Shatt Al-Arab estuary were studied. Metal concentrations were measured by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The results showed that the highest values were recorded for Iron (3422.931) μg/g (dry weight); the least concentration was for lead (2.179) μg/g (dry weight). nickel, cadmium, manganese, zink, copper and chrome recorded (6.7, 20.81, 27.51, 325.5,327.799, 1078.37) μg/g respectively. The results showed that fish body parts that accumulated the metals were as follows; liver, gills, intestine, muscles and ovaries whereas the sequence of metals in fish body was as follows; Iron, chrome, copper, Zink, manganese, cadmium, nickel and lead. It was the order of the seasons in the concentration of elements as follows autumn, spring, winter, summer.