Assessment of lanthanum and cerium pollution in the Shatt al-Arab River

Abstract

The current study investigates the concentrations and bioaccumulation exponents (BAFs) of ten metal
compounds such as cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La), iron (Fe), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na),
potassium (K), titanium (Ti), manganese (Mn), and phosphorus (P) from water and fish tissue samples of Iraq’s Shatt Al-Arab River. Samples were collected as May of the year 2018 from four sites distributed over a course of the river employing matching methods and gear. The metal grades were determined through X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) technology with proper calibration or standardization of a measuring device and method and quality control measures to provide reliable occurrences. The BAFs were derived as the proportion of the metal focus in fish tissues to its fixation in water. Descriptive factual studies were carried out to deconstruct the information and establish the normal, highest, lowest, and standard deviation qualities of every component. Information analysis unravelled massive differences in focuses of certain heavy metals between water and fish tissue tests from differing locations. The highest BAF values were noted for calcium, followed by titanium, magnesium and sodium, with very high bioconcentration of these metals in fish from the waterway. Overall, the results of this study present valuable information on natural presentation and health hazards posed by exposure to metals in fish and water samples from Shatt Al-Arab River