Concentration And Distribution Of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons In Two Emerged Aquatic Plants From The River Euphrates Near Al-Nassiriya City -South Of Iraq

Concentration and distribution of Total Petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) were estimated in water, surface sediment and two emerged aquatic plants (Phragmites australis) and (Typha domengensis) .They were collected from three selected stations in the river Euphrates near A1-Nassiriya ,a city south of Iraq, during the period between February and July/2006. Concentration of TPHs in the sample solutions, prepared after extraction, were analyzed by using spectrofluorometer (shimadzu RF. 540). Total organic carbon (TOC) content in sediment was measured , air and water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and suspended particulate matter(SPM) were estimated. Monthly variations were recorded in air and water temperature. The lowest value of DO (4.8 mg/l) in July was recorded in station 3, and the highest (8.9 mg/l) in February was recorded in station 1. The highest value of BOD5 (8.51 mg/l) in July and the lowest (2.33 mg/l) in May were recorded in stations 3 and 1 respectively. The high concentration of TPHs found in sediment was (23.4 l μg/g) dry weight in April, while it were (10.43 μg/l) in February and (6.30 μg/g) in April in (dissolved and particulate) phases of water samples respectively. Different concentrations of TPHs were found in the aquatic plant samples. P. australis recorded higher concentration of TPHs than T. domingensis in (shoot and root parts), whereas TPHs concentration in root part were higher than its concentration in shoot part in both plants. Posative correlation was recorded between TPHs concentration and fat content in ( root and shoot) parts for both plants. Furthermore, posative correlations were observed between TPHs concentration and TOC content in sediment for all study stations. In conclusion both plants are capable of accumulation TPHs and we can use them as bioindicators for study and monitoring the pollution by this type of pollutants in aquatic environment.