Faris J. M. Al-Imarah¹ , Talib A. Khalaf² , Shaker G. Ajeel² , Abdullah Y. Khudhair³ , Ramiz Saad⁴

1 Department of Chemistry &Marine Environmental Pollution, Marine Science Center, University of Basrah, Iraq
2 Department of Marine Biology, Marine sciences center / University of Basrah, Iraq
3 Medicinal Branch/ College of Pharmacy, University of Basrah, Iraq
4 Maxxam analytical INC.6740 Campobello Rd. Mississauga, On L5N 2LB, Canada
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Marine Science, 2018, Vol. 8, No. 3   doi: 10.5376/ijms.2018.08.0003
Received: 24 Nov., 2017    Accepted: 20 Dec., 2017    Published: 12 Jan., 2018

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Al-Imarah F.J.M., Khalaf T.A., Ajeel S.G., Khudhair A.Y., and Saad R., 2018, Accumulation of heavy metals in zooplanktons from Iraqi National Waters, International Journal of Marine Science, 8(3): 25-34 (doi: 10.5376/ijms.2018.08.0003)

Samples of zooplankton's were collected by special net from 8 sites within Iraqi national waters represented by stations: 1- Shatt Al-Basrah cannal, 2- Khour Al-Zubair, 3- Buoy 29, 4-Buoy 13, 5-Buoy 5, 6-Al-Musab, 7- Ras Al-Bisha, and 8-Al-Fao. Samplings were conducted during the period June 2009 and Feb. 2010. Zooplankton's were classified in groups: Copepods, Rofifera, Cirriped larvea, and some other minor species. Major abundant zooplankton's were Copepods, Rotifera, Cirriped larvea, Polychates, and Bivalves, while other zooplankton's which appear in minor abundance were Appendicularea, Castropod, Forminilifora, and Megalopa. Selected heavy metals Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, Ni, Pb, U, and Zn were determined in the collected samples by adopting a highly sophisticated ICP/MS at Maxxan Analytical Inc., Canada. Levels estimated of heavy metals in µg/g were high for most of studied metals due to two main reasons: 1- the marine vessels sank in the water ways, and 2- discharging of waste water from Basrah City and certain industrial estate around. Trend of descanding concentrations of heavy metals accumulated in zooplankton's at southern Iraqi Waters were in the order: Fe> Zn> U > Cu > Co > Pb > Cd > Hg. Highest levels in µg/g for toxic heavy metals Co (1.91±6.62), Hg (0.40±1.100), Ni (15.52±40.15), Pb (1.013±2.030), and U (88.6±156.55), were reported at site 7 the Ras Al-Bishah station at the top of the Northern West Arabian Gulf due to waste discharge from the Iranian idustrial estate.

Heavy metals; Pollution; Zooplanktons; North West Arabian Gulf; Uranium