LAUSR

The accumulation capacity of heavy metals by algae as affected by the pH of fresh water is the main objective of this work, which is the first unitary study in Akre-Dhouk Province of Iraq’s Kurdistan region. The water samples of 10 selected sites in the months of August and November 2016 were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry in order to determine the bioaccumulation factor for taxa Scytonema subcynatum, Nostoc muscarum, Batracospermum boryanum, Batracospermum atrum, Batracospermum moniliform, Spirogyra subsalsa, Oedogonium tumidulum, and Chara bruunii. In water, we recorded the values of heavy metals content at permissible levels. For Chlorophyta and Cyanophytathe accumulation value positively correlated with pH, while in Rhodophyta it was negative. Consequently, the highest concentrations were registered by Oedogonium tumidulum for Ti (1019.361 μg. l-1), Cr (65.678 μg. l-1), Fe (2.380 μg. l-1), Co (7.846 μg. l-1), Ni (205.527 μg. l-1), As (12.591 μg. l-1), Batracospermum boryanum for Cu (196.257 μg. l-1), Batracosoermu atrum for Hg (0.069 μg. l-1), Pb (134.510 μg. l-1), Batracospermum moniliform for Zn (334.508 μg. l-1), Se (0.773 μg. l-1), Spirogyra subsalsa, for Mn (425.292 μg. l-1) and Scytonema subcynatum for Cd (0.075 μg. l-1).