Quality Assessment for Shatt Al-Arab River Using Heavy Metal Pollution Index and Metal Index

Abstract

The objectives of the present study were to prepare heavy metal pollution index (HPI) and metal index (MI) for the Shatt Al-Arab River (Iraq) and to evolve the sources of heavy metals. Nine locations were selected before and along of the river, five samples distributed on Euphrates and Tigris Rivers before confluence with each other forming Shatt Al-Arab River, and four samples distributed along the route of Shatt Al-Arab River. Six heavy metals viz. Iron (Fe), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd) and Nickle (Ni) were analysed using Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The mean HPI (8.33) was found to be below the critical pollution index value of 100. The result of the MI indicates that the river is pure with respect to heavy metal pollution.

Though the water was not found to be critically polluted with respect to heavy metals, the situation is still a matter of concern as Fe, Zn,Cu, Cd, Pb and Ni were found to have anthropogenic origin and mainly came from industrial activities, though municipal sewage, domestic wastes, traffic sources, atmospheric depositions and Chemical weathering of minerals. 

Keywords: Shatt Al-Arab River, Heavy metal pollution index, metal index, Water contamination.