Calcium alginate immobilized marine microalgae: Experiments on growth and short-term heavy metal accumulation

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 51; no. 8; pp. 823 - 829
• Main Authors: Moreno-Garrido, I., Campana, O., Lubián, L.M., Blasco, J.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Accumulation; Alginates; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Cadmium; Copper; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Eukaryota - growth & development; Eukaryota - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glucuronic Acid; Hexuronic Acids; Immobilization; Marine and brackish environment; Metals, Heavy - metabolism; Microspheres; Phytoplankton; Prasinophyceae; Species Specificity; Spectrophotometry, Atomic; Tetraselmis chui; Tetraselmis chuii; Time Factors; Spain; Immobilization; Cadmium; Phytoplankton; Copper; Accumulation; Short term; Calcium; Growth; Algae; Heavy metal; Marine environment; Aquatic environment; Plankton; Water pollution; Biological accumulation; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.06.008

Growth of 11 calcium alginate immobilized marine microalgal species belonging to eight taxonomical groups has been checked in the present work. Cellular densities inside the calcium alginate beads were monitored during 17 days. Good growth and maintenance of the structure of the beads were both found for some of the assayed species. One of those species ( Tetraselmis chui, Prasinophyceae) was selected in order to perform a short term (up to 24 h) heavy metal accumulation experiment. Beads of calcium alginate containing (or not) cells of T. chui were exposed to 820 μg L −1 Cu and 870 μg L −1 Cd separately during a 24 h period, and accumulation of heavy metals in the beads was measured after this time and compared. Concentration of each metal in the supernatants was monitored at 5, 10, 60 min and 24 h from the beginning of the experiment. After 24 h, practically all Cu was removed by the beads. Beads with immobilized algae removed around 20% of total Cd, while beads without algae removed half of that percentage.