Use of two aquatic snail species as bioindicators of heavy metals in Tigris river-Baghdad

الملخص EN

Thirty individuals of Bellamya bengalensis and Physella acuta were collected and identified from the Tigris River in Baghdad during the period between October to November 2017.

The efficiency of bioaccumulation of the two species as bioindicators for aquatic heavy metal pollution with Cd, Ni, Pb and Cu was investigated.

Both snail species had the ability to accumulate heavy metals.

The mean of Ni concentration in soft tissues of both snails was 1.53 ppm while the mean concentration of other heavy metals was significantly lower; they reached 0.51 ppm, 0.36 ppm and 0.29 ppm, respectively.

While no significant differences between B.

bengalensis and P.acuta were noticed in the ability to accumulate the heavy metals.

It is concluded that both snails shared the features of good bioindicators due to their sensitivity to pollution.