Toxic environmental parameters in water samples from some aquatic wetlands Southern Iraq

الملخص EN

In this study, estimation has done for some toxic elements; Phosphorus(P), Arsenic(As), Cadmium (Cd), Mercury(Hg) and Lead(Pb), as well as pH, conductivity(EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Chloride (Cl-) in the waters of 4 sites in Shatt Al-Arab River(1- Ashar, 2-Sehan, 3-Seebah and 4-Fao), in addition to another three sites, 5- Al-Hewish Marsh, 6- Water supply for fish lake and 7- Tigris River.

All of these sites represent sources for multi uses waters.

High value of total phosphorous 0.4 mg / l was recorded in Fao station 4 and 0.5 mg / l in Al-Hewaizah marsh station 5, Mercury ranged between 0.003 mg / l in station 7 and 0.0062 mg / l in station 6.

For Arsenic lower value was recorded as 0.002 mg/l in station 7, and higher values as 0.52 mg/l in station 3.

For cadmium values recorded were in the same trend as Arsenic, lower values as 0.00003 mg / l in station 5 and higher value as 0.007 mg / l in station 4, while levels of Lead were alternative with lower value of 0.006 mg / l in station 3, and as higher as 0.0216 mg/l in station 7.

pH values reported ranged between 7.52 and 7.88 in stations 5 and 6 respectively.

Conductivity and TDS as well as chloride were coincide as higher values recorded in the water of Shatt Al-Arab river, stations 1-4 (11860–47700 µS / cm, 11500–40300 mg / l and 5690–31670 mg / l) respectively due to the effect of water from Arabian Gulf during high tide as well as station 6 ( 30900 µS / cm, 27250 mg/l and 17900 mg / l) respectively and lower values in ( 575 µS/cm, 390 mg / l and 97 mg / l) respectively in station 7.

Taking in consideration that the permissible levels set by WHOM and USEPA for major parameters within this study are 0.06 – 0.12 mg / l for phosphorous, 0.00001 mg / l for arsenic, 0.00025–0.002 mg / l for cadmium, 0.00077–0.0014 mg / l for mercury and 0.05 mg / l for lead.