Effects of Total Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Water and Sediment of Shatt Al- Arab River on the Biochemical components of Mud Crab Chiromentes boulengeri
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Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Total Aromatic Hydrocarbons (TAH) on the biochemical components of haemolymph of mud crab Chiromentes boulengeri ( Calmen, 1920) that distributed along the bank of Shatt Al-Arab River / Southern of Iraq. Seasonal samples of water sediment and crab were collected from tow stations Al-Salhiya in the south and Garmat Ali in the North , Samples were collected from February 2015 to January 2016. The environmental factors (Air Temperature , Water Temperature , pH , Salinity and Dissolved Oxygen) were measured, TAH in Water , Sediments and crab tissue and the levels of biochemical components ( Glucose, Total Protein and Cholesterol) in haemolymph of crab were studded .The TAH concentrations in water were (38.88 – 23.36) µg/L, in sediment were (24.03 - 12.46) µg/g and in tissue were (26.48 - 14.17) µg/g in both stations respectively . Similarly , the average of TAH concentrations showed a significant seasonal variation in water , sediment and tissue samples in both stations at differences level of (P≤ 0.05) . The results of biochemical components showed that averages of the glucose were (24.5 – 31.85) mmol/L , while the averages of total protein ranged from (25.75 – 33.07) g/dL and the averages of cholesterol were (4.32 – 7.00) mmol/L. Total protein and cholesterol levels in the crab haemolymph differed significantly between the both stations (P≤ 0.05).