Abstract:
Heavy metals caused environmental pollution is a world-wide problem in
estuarine, coastal and marine waters. Metal pollution affects different
organisms in different ways and the degree of the impact is site-specific. In
order to assess the metal pollution impact, it is necessary to study the
respective chemical and the species concerned. In the present study two
species of marine macro algae (Fucus vesiculosus and Ulva lactuca) and
three kinds of heavy metals (Cu, Cd and Pb) were selected. Hence, the aim
of the study was to determine the effects of said metals exposure on tissue
accumulation, and photosynthetic characteristics (pigmentation and primary
productivity) of macro algae under controlled laboratory experiments. Algae
were collected from a reference location, Wemeldinge in the Eastern
Scheldet Estuary in Netherlands during March 2009. Accumulation of metals
in plant tissues was studied exposing two macro algae to three different
concentration series (0.00, 0.01, 0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 μM) of Cu, Cd and Pb for
48, 96 and 504 hours respectively. Metal concentrations were determined
using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS).
Productivity of algae was measured using Winkler method (for measuring
the amount of oxygen) and the results were expressed as carbon equivalent.
Pigment profiles of two species were analyzed by spectral absorbance over
250 -1100 nm range. The results reveal that the metal accumulation in tissues
significantly increases with increasing exposure metal concentration
whereas, pigmentation, and photosynthetic productivity decrease with
increasing metal concentration. Hence, macro algae can be used as indicator
organism to determine metal pollution in coastal waters.
