MONITORING OF HEAVY METALS BY USING PHOLCIDAE SPIDERWEBS IN BASRAH PROVINCE
Key message: The key message of this study is that spiderwebs can be used as an indicator of heavy metal pollution in the air and that industrial and residential areas have higher concentrations of heavy metals compared to agricultural areas with less traffic. The most accumulated heavy metal in spiderwebs was a nickel, followed by zinc, lead, and cobalt in decreasing order. However, comparing the accumulation of heavy metals on spiderwebs to assess air quality was difficult due to the limited number of studies that dealt with it. Context: The monitoring of air quality in Basrah province, Iraq, which is known for its oil and gas industry. The study aimed to assess the level of heavy metals in the air using spiderwebs of Pholcidae as an indicator of air pollution. Aims: The study aimed to determine the concentrations of four heavy metals (lead, cobalt, nickel, and zinc) accumulated on spiderwebs collected from five different sites in Basrah province. The study also aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of using spiderwebs as a vital indicator of air pollution. Methods: The study used spiderwebs of Pholcidae as an indicator of air pollution to determine the concentrations of four heavy metals (lead, cobalt, nickel, and zinc) accumulated on spiderwebs collected from five different sites in Basrah province. The concentrations of heavy metals were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results: The study found different concentrations of heavy metals in spiderwebs, with heavy-metal concentrations decreasing further away from the road. Industrial and residential areas contained higher concentrations of pollutants than agricultural ones with low traffic. High concentrations of nickel were recorded in most of the study stations, while cobalt had a lower concentration (17.3 μg · g-1 dry weight) than the other heavy metals (nickel, 207.2 μg · g-1; zinc, 133.1 μg · g-1 dry weight; and lead, 45.4 μg · g-1 dry weight) accumulated from the air. Conclusions: The study concluded that spiderwebs of Pholcidae can be used as an effective indicator of air pollution, as they can accumulate and retain heavy metals such as lead, cobalt, nickel, and zinc. The study found that the highest concentration of heavy metals recorded in all regions was a nickel, followed by zinc and lead, whereas the lowest concentration was cobalt.
Air quality, Heavy metals, Pollution, Spiderwebs, Basrah province, Iraq