Distributions and Sources of Heavy Metals in Exchangeable and Residual sediment core in Shatt AL-Basrah Canal

Abstract

The current study deal with the measurement of heavy metals pollution in sediment core at six stations taken from Shatt AL-Basra, these metals (lead, nickel, copper, chromium, zinc, cobalt, cadmium, and iron) were determined in the Exchangeable and residual phase by using the In conductivity Coupled Plasma (ICP). The percentage of total organic carbon and grain size analysis were also determined. The results of the concentrations in the Exchangeable phase of (Pb, Ni, Cu, Cd, Zn, Cd, Co, and Fe) showed that the highest concentration was (4.24, 8.15, 27.23, 10.33, 14.65, 0.79, 80.18, 900) μg/ gram dry weight respectively while the lowest concentration was (2.5, 1.16, 1.7, 56.06, 16.82, 0.02, 9.13, 43.5 μg/g weight respectively). The higher concentrations in the Residual phase of (Pb, Ni, Cu, Cd, Zn, Cd, Co, and Fe ) was (55.91, 76.07, 5.36, 35.4, 50.24, 16.52, 1080) dry weight, respectively, while the lowest concentration was (25.02, 1.73, 0.27, 0.05, 2.45, 0.25, 7.22, 660) µg/g dry weight. The results showed that the concentrations of the Metals were high, except for cobalt and zinc, which were relatively few, the concentration arranged as fellow(Fe > Cd> Cu> Ni > Pb > Cr >Zn > Co). The highest value of total organic carbon concentrations (TOC %) was (0.25 µg/g) at (25-20cm) depth at the third station while the lowest value was (0.05 µg/g) at (15-10 cm) depth at the second station and the highest average value (0.18 µg/g) in the first station. Average value (0.13 µg/g) in the second area. These results showed that organic matter pollution was mainly from the direct discharge of domestic wastewater into Shatt AL- Basra. The grain size analysis was mainly silt and clay are the most predominant in the study area.