The effects of heavy metal concentration on bio-accumulation, productivity and pigment content of two species of marine macro algae

Abstract

Environmental pollution due to heavy metals 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. Aim of the present study was to determine the effects of heavy metals viz., Cu, Cd and Pb exposure on tissue accumulation, pigmentation and productivity of two marine macro algae, Fucus vesiculosus and Ulva lactuca under controlled laboratory conditions. Algae were collected from a reference location, Wemeldinge in the Eastern Scheldet Estuary in Netherlands. Metal concentrations were determined using ICP-MS. Productivity of algae was measured using Winkler method and the results were expressed as carbon equivalent. Pigment profiles of two species were analyzed by spectral absorbance over 250 -1100nm range. The results revealed that the metal accumulation in tissues significantly increased with increasing exposure to metal concentration whereas, pigmentation, and photosynthetic productivity decreased with increasing metal concentration. Hence, F. vesiculosus and U. lactuca could be used as bio-indicators to determine metal pollution in coastal waters.