Heavy metal chelation by non-living biomass of three color forms of Kappaphycus alvarezii (Doty) Doty

• Published in: Journal of applied phycology Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 63 - 66
• Main Authors: Suresh Kumar, K, Ganesan, K, Subba Rao, P. V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.02.2008; Springer Netherlands
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biosorbent; chelation; Color forms; Ecology; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; heavy metals; Kappaphycus alvarezii; Life Sciences; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Chelation; Biosorbent; Color forms; Heavy metals
• ISSN: 0921-8971; 1573-5176
• DOI: 10.1007/s10811-007-9181-8

Water pollution by toxic heavy metals is a burning environmental problem and has presented a challenge to humans. Removal of heavy metals using non-living biomass of seaweeds could be a potential solution to this problem. In the present investigation, biomass of three color forms of Kappaphycus alvarezii, viz. brown, green and pale yellow, were studied in the laboratory for their heavy metal chelating capacity using cadmium, cobalt, chromium and copper. Amongst the four concentrations used (25, 50, 75 and 100 mg L-¹) maximum chelation of Cd, Co and Cu was recorded at 25 mg L-¹ concentration. The highest amount of Cr was chelated at 100 mg L-¹ by all the three color forms. The pale yellow form showed maximum chelation for all four metals studied. Further, chelation in all the color forms was found to be: Cd 5.37 ± 0.59-15.84 ± 0.32 %, Co 21.19 ± 0.13-32.32 ± 0.62 %, Cr 65.38 ± 0.27-88.09 ± 0.51 % and Cu 59.53 ± 0.37-90.28 ± 0.89 %. All the three color forms of K. alvarezii serve as an excellent biodetoxifier as they all chelated considerable amounts of heavy metals.