Impact of Heavy Metal Contamination on the Health of Marsh Buffalo Feeding on Reeds in Al Hammar Marsh, Dhi Qar Governorate

Abstract

This study aimed to clarify the relationship related to the potential risks of heavy metals on liver and kidney enzymes and catalase in marsh animals in southern Iraq that feed on reeds, through their transmission through the food chain. In this study, 120 blood samples were collected from buffalo in five separate areas of the Al Hammar Marsh in the city of Nasiriyah. 20 samples from each site. The other location was far from the marshes, and this group was considered a control group. Biochemical tests were performed, including liver function, kidney function, and catalase enzyme. The fifth group showed a significant superiority in terms of the (AST) enzyme, while the third group showed a significant superiority when examining the (A LT) and (ALT) enzymes. As for kidney function tests, the fifth and fourth groups showed a significant superiority over the other groups when performing urea and creatinine tests. The results showed that there is a variation in the catalase enzyme in the blood, as it was found that the activity of catalase in the blood serum of groups of marsh animals exposed to heavy metals in the marsh environment was higher than the activity of animals in the control group.