A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE ACCUMULATION OF HEAVY ELEMENTS IN TWO SPECIES OF FISH IN THE EASTERN CHANNEL OF THE EUPHRATES RIVER (AL HAFFAR), SOUTHERN IRAQZahraa Kamil Shatti and Haider Mashkoor HusseinAbstract Chemical water pollution is a critical issue nowadays as it results in the bioaccumulation of toxic metals in the aquatic creatures mainly in fish. In this study, the fish samples were collected quarterly for a whole year along the eastern channel of the Euphrates River called Al-Haffar. Concentrations of heavy metals zinc, lead, chromium, and copper determined in the gills, skin, and muscles of two species of fish (i.e, Tilapia zilli and Liza abu) using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. According to the results, it observed that heavy elements concentrations magnified in general, but zinc and copper were the most accumulated elements, while the least concentrated were lead and chromium. Heavy elements were more accumulated in the skin, while the gills were the least attractive to heavy elements for both species. Heavy metals in Liza abu were as follows (Zn, Cu, Pb and Cr) while, in Tilapia zilli, it was as follows (Zn, Pb, Cu and Cr). The statistical analysis showed that there are significant differences between the two species and between tissues of the same species during the study period, as p ï£ 0.05. In general, L. abu fish was more tendencies to accumulate metals than T. zilli. The results showed that the fish of this area was not suitable for human consumption, as the level of the elements exceeded the limits set by food organizations. Besides, both studied species could be biomarkers of contamination as the level of accumulation was extreme. |