Abstract
This study was conducted to reveal possible environmental effects on the Euphrates River from the Al-Hindiya barrage to the downstream end of Al-Kufa city in the middle of Iraq. Seven sites were selected along the study area and sampled during March 2004 to February 2005. We measured physical and chemical properties (air and water temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, TDS, TSS and dissolved oxygen) as well as, concentration and distribution of some heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in both dissolved and particulate phases, in the water and sediments (exchangeable and residual phases). The studied area was slightly alkaline, with very hard water and high BOD5. The nutrients showed clear seasonal fluctuations in their concentrations. It was shown that the concentrations of metals in the particulate phase were higher than those in dissolved phase in water. In sediments, the mean concentrations of heavy metals as exchangeable phase were less than in the residual phase.
Highlights
As a result of military activities in Iraq since 1980, many military factories were built along the Euphrates and Tigris rivers
Microorganisms and plants can have a profound influence on the chemical reactions of heavy metals[11] and the heavy metal pollution of aquatic systems is often more obviously reflected in high metal levels in sediments, macrophytes and benthic animals, than in elevated concentrations in water[12]
The present study showed high values of silicate through the summer and autumn that may be because of the decay of diatoms by high temperature[43] or by increase in the solubility of metal salts in water[53], this result agrees with many studies in Iraqi aquatic systems[23,24,27]
Summary
As a result of military activities in Iraq since 1980, many military factories were built along the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Many previous studies showed the concentration and distribution of heavy metals in different aquatic systems. Different physical, chemical, biological parameters were used to evaluate the quality of the river and observe the water pollution by heavy metals[25,26,27,28,29,30]. 2. Determine the concentration and distribution of nine heavy metals in water (dissolved and particulate phase), and sediment (exchangeable and residual phase), and to determine the main sources of heavy metals in the study area. Heavy metals in exchangeable and residual phases were extracted according to Chester & Voutsinou[36] and Sturgeon et al[35], respectively. Total organic carbon and texture of sediment values were determined according to methods of Gaudette et al[37] and Forth & Turk[38], respectively
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