en Ecology Ecology پژوهشي Orginal research papers <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span sans-serif="" style="font-family:Calibri,"><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">The concentration of</span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black"> four major (Na, K, Ca and Mg), seven essential (</span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni and Co</span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">) and three toxic (Cd, Pb and Hg) elements were determined </span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">in muscle of nine freshwater fish species </span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">(<i>Mesopotamichthys sharpeyi</i>, <i>Luciobarbus xanthopterus</i>, <i>Luciobarbus grypus</i></span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">,</span></span></span></span><i><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black"> Cyprinus carpio</span></span></span></span></i><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">,</span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black"> <i>Silurus triostegus</i>, <i>Planiliza abu</i>, <i>Leuciscus vorax</i>, <i>Luciobarbus schejch</i> and <i>Carasobarbus luteus</i>), that </span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">were purchased from local fish markets in central Iraqi cities (Baghdad, Hillah and Karbala) during April and May 2017</span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">. Atomic spectroscopy and s</span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">tripping voltammetric technique were used to analyze the samples after microwave digestion. </span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">The highest concentration found in </span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">mg kg^-1dry weight</span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black"> was that of potassium (</span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">9014-10879</span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">) followed by sodium </span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">(999-2039),</span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black"> calcium (</span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">797-3081</span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">) and magnesium (1206-1819). </span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">The essential elements, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni and Co were found at comparatively lower concentrations of less than 60 mg kg^-1d.w., whereas </span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">average levels of the toxic elements Cd, Pb and Hg were generally very low ranging between 0.019 and 5.387 </span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">mg kg^-1 d.w.</span></span></span></span><span lang="TR" style="font-size:12.0pt"><span style="line-height:120%"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black"> The average daily contribution of major and essential elements from fish to the Iraqi requirements were found to be 0.7-3.4% and 0.5-12.0% of the internationally recommended standards, respectively. Levels of the toxic elements Cd and Pb stayed behind permissible levels, while the level of mercury was above that level. Controlling agriculture and industrial effluents into the Euphrates&ndash;Tigris Basin of Iraq and proper sitting of pond waters to minimize the risk of contamination by heavy metals is highly recommended.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> Euphrates–Tigris Basin, Iraqi fish, Macro and microelements, Atomic spectroscopy, Stripping voltammetry 745 770 http://jifro.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-2759-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 M.H. Matloob safiramatloob@gmail.com 100319475328460049074 100319475328460049074 Yes Professor Assistant in Chemistry