Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon in Selected Fish of Shatt Al-Arab River, Iraq

Abstract

This study represent the concentrations of TPH in six commercial Luciobarbus xanthopterus , Ctenophyngodon idella , Cyprinus carpio , Tilapia zillii , Palaniza abu and Leuciscus vorax from Shatt Al-Arab river. The highest concentrations of TPH were found in Leuciscus vorax in during Summer 21.52±3.41 μg/g (dry wt.) and the lowest in Tilapia zillii 2.47±0.33 μg/g (dry wt.), while highest concentrations during winter found in Cyprinus carpio 8.2±1.0 μg/g (dry wt.), which is more than other fishes and the low concentration 0.33 μg were found in Tilapia zillii with level of 2.47±/g (dry wt.). The concentration in fish samples ordering as the following: Luciscus vorax > Cyprinus carpio > Ctenophyngodon idella > Luciobarbus xanthopterus > Palaniza abu > Tilapia zillii . This is may be due to the variety of fish feeding habitat and the season of reproduction , also the hydrocarbons found in the fish species of Shatt Al-Arab river are due to food and water sources, type of habitat, environmental factors, and lipid content .