Pollution Risk of water Quality on Human and Aquatic Life of Tigris River Reach in Mosul City / North Iraq

Abstract

Considerable attention is now being paid to uses of rivers and lake for such purposes as domestic, fishing, aquatic life and esthetical enjoyment.

Study of water quality for Tigris River reach of Length 24 Km. in Mosul city, North Iraq, was carried out in order to assess their chemical composition  and suitability for human and aquatic life.

Laboratory analysis of 15 water samples for five sites within the river reach , were performed in order to obtain the chemical concentration of Ca, Na, Mg, HCO3, SO4, Cl, NO3, TDS and pH. Certain ions may be lethal to human and other aquatic life forms when present at levels near or below the limit give by public water supplies. Copper , zinc and aluminum which are not among the metals for which limits are prescribed for public water supply, are toxic to human and many other species of aquatic life. Concentration of chemical constituents in water samples vary spatially and temporarily due to the reaction with environment, solubility of salts and human activities that find it way to the river reach.

The chemical analysis of water samples compared with the standard guideline values as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for human, fisheries and aquatic life. four samples of the right bank side and one sample of site 3 in the left bank side of the river reach are fall within the poor quality type water. While the other samples of the left bank side and the deepest part of the river reach are fall within the high quality type water.