Heavy Metal Monitoring of Rameswaram Coast by Some Sargassum species

Abstract: Seaweeds have a high capacity to bind trace metals. Seaweeds are generally considered as the best bioindicator of aquatic bodies for nutrients as well as heavy metals. The use of organisms like algae to identify areas of trace metal contamination is attractive as these organisms concentrate metals from the ambient water. Accumulation of cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel and zinc were determined in Sargassum species collected from Rameswaram coast. The concentration of the heavy metals is varied significantly in between the species and also their parts. The results showed that all the metals are lower in airbladder than in receptacle, stem and leaf. Chromium, iron and manganese content were higher in a1l the parts than in other metals studied. According to these findings Sargassum wightii were effectively used as the bioaccumulation study from the polluted sites. Key words: Pollution Heavymetal Sargassumspecies Bioaccumulation INTRODUCTION S.polycystum were collected from the coast. All the thalli The presence of heavy metals in the environment is running tapwater to remove adhering particulate matters. a major concern because of their toxicity to flora and Sargassum species were separated into different portions fauna. Moreover, recovery of heavy metals from industrial like stem, leaf, airbladder and receptacle and oven dried at waste streams is becoming increasingly important as 30°C to constant weight and then pulverised to ensur