Twenty four soil samples were collected from different sites in north sector of East Baghdad oil field, Iraq , and analyzed to assess the impact of urbanization and industrialization essential pollution. The soil samples were analyzed for heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) by using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Mean concentration of heavy metals in soil samples follows this pattern: Zn > Ni > Cr > Cu >Pb > As> Cd> Hg. The results show significant variations (lower and higher) in the concentrations of heavy metals compared with local and world studies, this variation is attributed to the natural anthropogenic sources. The pollution of studied soil was assessed using many soil

The effects of temperature on an exotic aquatic snail Pomacea canaliculata  (Lamarck, 1819) collected from the Shatt Al-Arab intertidal zone were investigated. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted during the summer period of 2017. Individuals of new born snails hatched in the laboratory from adult snails were collected from Shatt Al-Arab intertidal zone, and subjected to five fixed temperatures: 15, 25, 35, 40 and 45 Cº, after short term thermal acclimation. The heartbeats (HB) were counted at each temperature level. The results showed significant  direct increase of HB from 15 Cº (19.8 HB/min) up to 25 Cº (76 HB/min) (P<0.05)  as well as from 25 Cº to 35 Cº (93 HB/min). At 40 Cº the snail HB

This research was conducted to investigate the water quality of the lesser Zab
river, to evaluate the water suitability for agricultural usings and report the effect of
human activities on this water. Samples were collected along the river stream
starting from Dukan area till the convergence with Tigris River. All the tests were
conducted at the labs of Environmental sciences and Technology College /
University of Mosul and Erbil water project/Erbil city.
The results of using Piper diagram showed that the water is alkine, due to the effect of the origional rock's components of that area on the water quality. While the using of Stiff diagram elucidate that the water samples contain ions belong to the area of the lesser Z

To investigate and assess the effects of land use and land cover (LULC) on concentrations of heavy metals in the surface soils of Lesser Zab River Basin (LZRB), 25 surface soil samples were taken from different LULC classes. Heavy metals concentrations were measured and their enrichment factors were calculated. Most of the LZRB soil samples are moderately alkaline with pH>8 and characterized by low organic content. The average abundance of the major oxides follow the decreasing order of SiO2 % > CaO % > Al2O3 % > Fe2O3 %> MgO > K2O % > TiO2 % > Na2O % > SO3 % > P2O5 %. A correlation matrix revealed that clay and feldspar minerals, Fe and Mn oxides / hydroxides are the most important carrier phase for several

The aim of this paper is to determine the significant levels of some heavy metals such: lead, chromium, nickel and cadmium, were determined. Sources of pollution and their distribution according to presence of elements in the soils over the whole zone of the province of Maysan in southern of Iraq were investigated 36 soil samples from different zones: residential, industrial, commercial, agricultural and main roads, were collected from the soil surface and a depth of 30 cm and analyzed measuring of concentrations for heavy metals by a device ICP-MS technique. The results were compared with global standard levels of these elements in the soil.

     Thirty individuals of Bellamya bengalensis and Physella acuta were collected and identified from the Tigris River in Baghdad during the period between October to November 2017. The efficiency of bioaccumulation of the two species as bioindicators for aquatic heavy metal pollution with Cd, Ni, Pb and Cu was investigated. Both snail species had the ability to accumulate heavy metals. The mean of Ni concentration in soft tissues of both snails was 1.53 ppm while the mean concentration of other heavy metals was significantly lower; they reached 0.51 ppm, 0.36 ppm and 0.29 ppm, respectively. While no significant differences between B. bengalensis and  P.acuta were noticed in th

Some aspects of population dynamics of both corbicula species inhabiting intertidal zone of
shatt al-Arab are described. These informations are explained in accordance with the possible
occurrence of competition between the two related species.

The quality of groundwater in the Al-Hawija area was assessed using a water quality index. Data of nine physico-chemical parameters of 28 groundwater wells were used to calculate the water quality index (WQI). A heterogeneous water quality was reported, where in close proximity to the Lesser Zab River (LZR), it has low WQI values and permissible for human consumptions due to the dilution processes by fresh water; whereas, it becomes deteriorated in areas located far away the river. The values of WQI ranges from 22 to 336, indicating a good to very poor groundwater quality.