Investigation on the concentrations of heavy metals in water, sediment and some benthic organisms living from the Tigris River

XII SUMMARY In this study, heavy metal concentrations of Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn have been studied to determine in water and sediment in the muscle, liver and gill of fish^Xr/ams^ triostegus^ ^Mastacembelus simack, Mystus- tokpensis^Qtihrias euphraticus), the muscle and liver of crab (Potamon fluviatilis),the internal organs of fresh water snail (Physa acuta), and mussel (Unio elongatulus), and total accumulation in green algae (Spirogyra sp.) examples that have benthic feature, and all determinations were taken seasonally from six different stations of theTigris River and Reşan creek determined as reference station. The heavy metal accumulation in theTigris River sediment was determined as maksimum in station I., where copper plant exists, and minimum in station H The average Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Zn, and Fe values in reference station and stations IV, V, VI were found to be high in spring and summer, whereas low in winter. The heavy metal concentrations were determined in sequence Fe> Zn> Cu> Ni> Mn in muscle and liver, while Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu > Ni in gill of Silurus triostegus. The highest average Cu, Zn, Mn, and Fe concentrations in liver and gill were determined in summer, while Cu concentrations of muscle were found to have increased remarkably in spring and summer and Zn concentrations of muscle in autumn and Ni values of muscle in summer and winter. Cu, Mn and Zn concentrations were found highest in liver of Mastacembelus simack, followed by gill and muscle respectively. Furthermore, the concentrations of Cu, Ni, Zn and Fe values in liver, Cu, Ni and Mn in gill and Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn and Ni in muscle were noticed to be maximum in summer.XIII The heavy metal concentrations were determined in sequence Fe> Zn> Mn> Cu> Ni in muscle and gill while Fe > Zn > Mn > Cu > Ni in liver of Mystus halepensis. In these species, the accumulation of Mn indicated a significant difference in winter compared to the other seasons. In Orthrias euphraticus, Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu values were observed to be higher in internal organs, with respect to muscle tissue. Cu, Fe, Mn and Ni values in liver, Zn in muscle tissue were determined at maximum level in Potamonfluviatilis. In Umo elongatulus, the heavy metal concentrations were determined in sequence Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Ni in the mass of internal organs. The average Cu, Ni, and Fe values were found at maximum level in winter whereas in summer for Zn and Mn. The heavy metal concentrations determined in the mass internal organs oîPhysa acuta examples were in sequence Fe > Mn > Cu > Zn > Ni. Cu, Zn, Mn, and Fe values have been accumulated at maximum level in summer. The heavy metal concentrations in Spirogyra sp. were determined in sequence as Fe > Mn > Ni > Cu Zn > Co. The average Cu, Ni, Fe and Co values were found at maximum level in summer while Zn in spring and Mn in autumn. In Tigris River, among the living organisms, i.e., those which are living in benthic region and showing biomonitor characteristic, crab, snail, gren algae, mussel and fish are seen to be formed in seqence. Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn values obtained from the muscle of fish and from the mass of internal organs of mussel and snail that live in the benthic region in the Tigris River were found to be below the acceptable values suggested.