Evaluation of the Influence of Heavy Metals Contamination in Abiotic and Biotic Environments of the Lower Reaches of Kura River

Abstract

Waters of Kura River are main sources for drinking water in Azerbaijan. Therefore, any decrease of quality of water creates danger for environmental protection issues of the whole region. Heavy metals (HM) are one of the main pollutants of the water. Diluted and highly-dispersed forms of HMs forming various complexes with the components of natural environment, then can be transferred by the water flows as well as they can be accumulated in the bottom sediments (BS) and water organisms. For efficient assessment of ecological state of the environment, it is necessary to have sustainable control of HMs content in all links of the following chain: abiotic environment (water, bottom sediment) - biotic environment (benthophage, plankton, phytophages euryphage predator). Present study is devoted to detection of general tendency of content and distribution of HMs in waters, bottom sediment of lower reaches of Kura River and bioaccumulation of toxic metals in organs and tissues of fishes of various ecological groups.