HEAVY METALS IN WATER, SUSPENDED PARTICLES, SEDIMENTS AND AQUATIC PLANTS OF HABBANIYA LAKE, IRAQ.

Seasonal samples were taken from four selected stations on the Habbaniya lake. middle of Iraq during 1997, to study six heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Pb, Ni, Mn, and Zn), in water suspended particles, sediments and aquatic plants. Five plant species were collected, represented the most dominant in the lake, namely Myriophyllum verticillattum, Potamogeton crispus, P. pectinatus, Ceratophyllum demersum and Vallisnaria spiralis. Zn had the highest concentration among the studied metals in filtered water and suspended particles with an average of 4.08 µg/l and 26088 µg/g, respectively. Whereas, Mn had the highest in the sediments and all studied aquatic plants, which ranged between 213.3-2027 µg/g and 100-1725 µg/g, respectively, Meanwhile, Cd had the lowest concentration in all studied samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]