Detection of Some Heavy Metals in Main Drain Fish in Southern Baghdad, Iraq

This study aim to determine the levels of heavy metals including Cadmium, Copper, Lead, Nickel, and Zinc in the gills, liver, and muscles of carpio fish collected from Baghdad Main Drain, and explore how the level of the identified metal varies over the seasons and spatially as a result of environmental changes in order to estimate risks to the health of consumers of the fish species dependent on the drain. This research seeks to analyze trace metal levels in fish caught from Main Drain river in Baghdad –Iraq with emphasis on three sample stations. Carried out bi-monthly collection of fish samples of Cyprinus carpio from October 2023 to January 2024. Metals such as Cadmium, Copper, Lead, Nickel, and Zinc was considered in the analysis, that show location variation based on seasonal climatic changes. Tissues from fish gill, liver, and muscle were dried homogeneous, ground and subjected to acid digestion and the heavy metals was analyzed using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The gills for Site Sm2 at 170 ppb in winter and liver at Site Sm1 at 353 ppb in autumn. Copper was found to be highest during winter at Site Sm2’s gills as 458 ppb and significantly high Lead also at Site Sm2’s gills winter being 1507 ppb and Lead at fairly high level present in gills, Liver and muscles. Nickel and Zinc presented dissimilar behavior in the water concentrations and its highest indulgence in gills of Zi were recorded in Site Sm2 during winter with 33 ppb. In this study, it is established that water fish in the Main Drain of Southern Baghdad, especially at Site Sm2 are highly polluted with metals such as Cadmium, Copper, Lead, and Zinc especially in winter. A comparison with other tissues illustrates that gills and liver are more likely to accumulate radioactivity than muscle. High concentrations of lead are equally dangerous to both aquatic life and human beings and therefore calls for constant environ mental check and control.