Concentration of some heavy metals in water, sediment and two species of aquatic plants collected from the Euphrates River, near the center of Al-Nassiriyia City, Iraq

Abstract EN

Concentration and accumulation of six trace elements (Cd, Cu, Pb, Ni, Fe and Zn) were measured in water (dissolved and particulate) phase, sediment and two species of aquatic plants Phragmits australis and Ceratophyllum demerssum collected during summer season, 2014 from the Euphrates river, some environmental parameter (Temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, pH) of water were measured, also total organic carbon (TOC%) and sediment texture were measured and expressed as percentage.

Higher concentration of elements under study were observed in sediment more than their concentrations in water and plants, while particulate phase of water concentrated trace elements more than their concentration in dissolved phase, whereas the accumulation of trace elements in plants, showed that their concentration in Ceratophyllum demerssum was more than their concentration Phragmits australis in The study observed that it can use the two species of plants as bioindicator for accumulation of trace elements also the concentration of TE in the study samples were in acceptable range, when its compared with world wide range.

The study showed that the possibility of using both plants to remove these type of pollutant from the aquatic environment and can be used in bioremediation for processes.