Journal of Sustainability Science and Management 2008 Volume 3 (1): 41-73 EXperimental AND FIELD STUDY ON Accumulation OF Heavy Metals IN SEAGRASSES (Halodule pinifolia and Halophila minor) IN SETIU WETLAND, TERENGGANU SYARIFAH NOORMAISARAH TUAN BESAR1*, NOOR AZHAR MOHAMED SHAZILI1, SITI AISHAH ABDULLAH2, AWANG SOH MAMAT3 1 Institute of Oceanography, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Mengabang Telipot, Kuala Terengganu. 2 Department of Marine Science, Faculty of Maritime and Marine Science, 21030 Mengabang Telipot, Kuala Terengganu. 3 Faculty of Agrotechnology and Food Science and Marine Science, 21030 Mengabang Telipot, Kuala Terengganu. * Corresponding author email address:
[email protected] Abstract: The aims of this study were: (i) to determine the content of copper and cadmium into seagrass Halodule pinifolia and Halophila minor from the Setiu Wetland and Setiu River estuary, Terengganu and (ii) to study the bioaccumulation response of the seagrass towards the metals. The contents of the two metals in leaves and root-rhizomes of the seagrasses collected from the field study samples were determined. In laboratory experiments, the two seagrass were exposed to sediments spiked with four different concentrations of copper (56.44 µg/g, 112.87 µg/g, 225.74 µg/g and 451.49 µg/g) or cadmium (36.00 µg/g, 72.00 µg/g, 144.00 µg/g and 288.00 µg/g). The exposure period was for 8 weeks during which plants were sampled weekly and the metal concentrations in leaves and root-rhizomes determined. The content of heavy metals was measured by AAS. Pearson Correlation were used to determine the relationship between the accumulation of heavy metals in root-rhizomes and leaves.