The Vital Accumulation of Zinc and Copper of Tape Worm Parasite Postgangesia(Proteocephalus) hemispherous and Final Host Silurus glanis Fish From Tigris River in Mosul City

The paper aims to estimate the accumulative concentration of zinc and copper in tissues of the tape worm Postgangesia hemispherous, and also be found in some organs of its host European fish Silurus glanis brought from Tigris River in Rashidiya area in Mosul city. The concentrations of zinc and copper are determined using atomic absorption spectrum microscope after performing the digestion and destruction process of the samples and tape worm by high purity concentrated nitric acid solution. It was found that the accumulative concentration of zinc was higher than that of copper in the both the tape worm and the infected and non-infected fishes. The concentration of zinc and copper in the tissues of the worm was (28.1 ± 2.6 & (24.75 ± 2. 51) g/g of the body weight respectively. A significant difference was observed at a probability level (P 0.05) in the accumulative concentration of zinc in the intestine, liver, gills, and muscles in both infected and non-infected fishes. It was also found a significant difference at same level in the accumulative concentration of copper in both the infected and non-infected fishes, but in the liver, gills, and muscles organs only. As a the concentration of zinc and coopper is higher in tape worm tissues compared with its infected host, so the tape worm can be used as a vital indicators in the environmental monitoring programs to watch the metallic pollution happening in the aquatic. environment.