Abstract
Aquatic Macrophytes are unchangeable biological filters and they carry out purification of the water bodies therefore, the determination of element compositions in aquatic Macrophytes is essential for understanding their nutritive importance. Macrophytes are known as good indicators of heavy metal contamination in aquatic ecosystems and they act as biological filters by accumulating heavy metals from the surrounding environments. Concentrations of heavy metals such as Fe, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were measured in macrophytes samples collected from different physiographic locations from lake Burullus and Manzala. The collected plants were Lemna gibba, Pistia stratiotes, Ceratophyllum demersum, Potamogeton pectinatus and myriophylum spicatum The results of the present study indicated that, values of some metals like iron, zinc and copper are higher in almost all the specimens, in addition to Lemna gibba and potamogeton pectinatus showed the higher capacity of heavy metal accumulation than the other aquatic plants, Accordingly they could be used as reliable way for biomonitoring of heavy metals and in sustainable development, management and pollution assessment in the northern deltaic lakes of Egypt.