Analysis of Two Marine Algae for Heavy Metals

Watkins, Robin

Algae have been shown to concentrate heavy metals from the environment. A study in Qatar showed that different marine algae complexed metals to varying extents in the same environment (Kureishy 1991). While some heavy metals, in small amounts, are essential to algal physiology, excessive amounts of metals are known to slow the growth of microalgae (Carpene 1992). The ability of algae to sequester a wide variety of metals andin greater amounts than necessary biologically has important implications. In addition to potentially decreasing the numbers of algae, which form an important part of the food chain, the metals could become part of the human diet either through the food chain or through the use of seaweed as fertilizer.