The concentration of some heavy metals in different parts of reed plant Phragmites australis, along the Al-Sabeel River, Iraq

The present study was conducted to determine the concentrations of some heavy metals of lead, cadmium, and chromium in the roots and stems of Phragmites australis collected from the Al-Sabeel River in Iraq. Samples were collected at four selected sites in three provinces of Najaf, Diwaniyah, and Samawah over a distance of 114 km, from August 2022 to January 2023. The results reveal that the concentrations of Pb, Cd, and Cr in the roots and stems of the reeds as 134.28-91.21, 189.47-180, and 190.57-97.9 mg/kg dry weight, respectively. Cr was the most accumulated element in the stem, while Cd was the most accumulated in the roots. The results also showed that the stem accumulates heavy metals more than the roots, indicating the possibility of using the reed as an indicator of heavy metal pollution.