A comparison in accumulations of heavy metals in two species of aquatic plants in Al-Chibayish marsh south of Iraq

Abstract EN

The current study estimated the concentrations of heavy metals Zinc(Zn), Copper(Cu), Lead(Pb), Nickel(Ni) and Cadmium(Cd) in each of the dissolved and particulate phases water, sediments and in two species of plants (Typha domingensis and Vallisneria spirallis) in Al-Chibayish marsh in Thi-Qar province, southern Iraq.

Samples were collected during the winter and spring of 2013 from two stations within the AlChibayish marshlands.

Station one was exposed to various types of pollution, while the station two was not exposed to contaminated.

Also the percentage of organic carbon in sediments as well as sediment texture were analyzed to identify their impact on the concentration of heavy metals.

The results indicated that the mean concentration of heavy metals in all phases(water and sediment) and selected plants were highest at station one compared with station two , the results indicated that the accumulation patterns of heavy metals was greatest in the particulate phase followed by the sediment and plants respectively.

Higher concentration of the studied heavy metals were observed in Typha domingensis more than their concentration in Vallisneria spirallis the range of concentration were Zn(87-131),(64-93); Cu(1.1-1.7), (0.9-1.4); Pb (0.7- 4.6), (1.8-3.3); Ni (42-69), (32-66); Cd (0.7-1.8), (0.4-1.5) µg/g dry weight respectively, so it can be use this species in removing this type of pollutants from the aquatic environment.

Metals accumulated by aquatic plants were mostly distributed in roots, suggesting that an exclusion strategy for metal tolerance widely exist in them.

This technology involves efficient use of aquatic plants to remove detoxify or immobilize heavy metals.