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Heavy Metals Concentrations in Brown Seaweed Padina Pavonia (L.) and P

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Heavy Metals Concentrations in Brown Seaweed Padina Pavonia (L.) and P Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences Vol.44(8), August 2015, pp. 1200-1206 Heavy metals concentrations in brown seaweed Padina Pavonia (L.) and P. tetrastromatica at different beaches of Karachi Coast Rashida Qari Institute of Marine Science, University of Karachi, Karachi 75270, Pakistan [Email: [email protected]] Received 18 February 2014; revised 25 June 2014 Present investigation was undertaken to know the levels of heavy metals (Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, Pb, Co, Cd and Hg) in the brown algae Padina pavonia and P. tetrastromatica collected from three coastal areas of Karachi,.. The concentrations of Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, Pb, Co, Cd and Hg in digested samples of seaweeds were measured by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (Varian AA-20). Concentrations of Mg, Cd and Co were highest at Buleji, Cu and Ni at Paradise Point and Fe, Mn, Zn, Cr, Pb and Hg were high at Nathia Gali. In both species of Padina high concentrations of heavy metals are due to untreated wastes that are discharging from different sources such as industries and houses in coastal areas. [Key Word: Heavy metal, brown seaweed, Buleji, Paradise Point and Nathia Gali, pollution] Introduction Brown seaweeds are most effectively Padina pavonia and P. tetrastromatica used as indicator of pollution by certain heavy are benthic brown seaweed found abundantly in metals18. The potential of seaweed as metals intertidal areas particularly in tide pools of Buleji, indicator have been reported by various workers Paradise Point and Nathia Gali beaches of for brown seaweed13,19. Many brown seaweed Karachi coast. The coastal areas of Karachi are species are used as an indicator of heavy metal ecologically and economically important but pollution for example Fucus vesiculosus11,20. these coastal areas are facing many types of Basson and Abbas21 reported elemental pollution1-8. Marine pollution either natural or composition (Mg, Fe, Cd, Cr, Co, Mn, and Ni) of anthropogenic is a major threat to the health of fifteen seaweeds from the Bahrain coastline millions of people, marine animals and plants (Arabian Gulf). Many workers related to India especially benthic communities that seriously have also studied the trace metals distribution in impact the entire ecosystem. seaweeds22,23. Whyte and Engler24 studied Fe, Zn, The continental shelves of Pakistan Mn, Cr and Cu in marine algae of Burrard inlet, include Makran and Baluchistan coasts are off Stanley Park. Hussein et al.25 studied the Mg, thriving with natural resources of rich flora and Mn, Zn and Cu concentration in brown algae P. fauna9. Chemical composition of seaweed pavonia from Roushdy, Alexandria. Rajendran et undergoes marked variation in changing al.26 studied metal concentration (Mn, Fe, cu and environments i.e., the seasons, the habitats, and Zn) in seaweed from Tamil Nadu coast of India. depth at which they grow. It is a known fact that Due to rapid growth of population and industries accumulation of metal in seaweeds is related to resulted in the problem of pollution, especially of their concentration in water and it has been the coastal aquatic environment of Karachi. observed that it is also influenced by changing Extent of pollution has transpired the impetus to season10-13. Metals that enter the marine initiate a study on the biodeposition of heavy environment are taken up and accumulate in metals pollutants i.e., Mg, Fe, Mn, cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, plants (marine algae) and animals14. Algae are Pb, Co, Cd and Hg in seaweeds. This study was the primary producers, which possess a great undertaken, to gather information that will serve ability to accumulate heavy metals15. This has as baseline values of heavy metals in brown been reported that industrial discharges and often seaweed (P. pavonia and P. tetrastromatica) environmental factors may lead to metal pollution found along the coastal areas of Karachi. of seawater16. Metals are concentrated by a factor Seasonal variability is also studied in the metal of 30,000 to 50,000 as compared to their concentrations and relationship between heavy concentration in the ambient environments. metals concentrations in seaweeds and seawater. Seaweed absorbed elements like Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, Br, and I, from seawater and accumulated in Materials and Methods thallus. Seaweeds have high quantities of Mg and Both species of seaweeds Padina pavonia Fe (15-25%)14,17. and P. tetrastromatica and seawater were sampled from three exposed shores of Karachi coast i.e., Buleji, Paradise Point and Nathia Gali QARI: HEAVY METALS PADINA PAVONIA AND P. TETRASTROMATICA AT KARACHI COAST 1201 at low tide. These plants were carefully cleaned from mud debris and other epiphytes with filtered seawater and dried at 70 oC for 24 hours till a constant weight was achieved. Samples were then homogenized with a porcelain pestle and mortar to a powder form, sieved and stored in plastic bottle until further analysis. Digestion of samples was carried out as described by Denton and Burdon Jones18. Triplicate samples of both species of seaweed (1 gram) were digested with concentrated nitric acid (4 ml) and concentrated perchloric acid (2 ml) in 50 ml Teflon beaker (prewashed with nitric acid solution) covered with lid at 80 oC on a hot plate. After digestion and evaporation of acid, metal salt were re-dissolved in metal free deionized water and the final volume was made up to 100 ml in volumetric flask. Reagents blank were treated similarly as samples using same volume of acid and deionized water. In digested samples of seaweeds concentrations of Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, Pb, Co, Cd and Hg were measured by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (Varian, AA-20). All results in seaweeds are reported in µg/g except Mg in mg/g. The water samples were filtered using Fig. 1. Variation in magnesium concentration of seaweeds 0.45 µm membrane (Millipore) filter paper and 27, (mg g-1) and seawater (g l-1) at Karachi coast (1. Buleji 2. acidified with 0.1 N HCL for further treatment Paradise Point 3. Nathia Gali). 28. For the preconcentration of heavy metals the samples of seawater were chelated with ammonia pyrrolidine dithiocarbonate and then extracted with methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK)28-31. The extracted sample was back extracted by evaporating the organic solvent and acidified with concentrated HCl. The Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (Varian, Model AA-20) was used to analyze the heavy metals (Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, Pb, Co, Cd and Hg). All results of seawater are reported in mg l -1 except Mg, which is in g l-1. Results and Discussion For the seasonal variation in heavy metals two brown species of seaweeds P. pavonia and P. tetrastromatica were studied, collected from three sites (Buleji, Paradise Point and Nathia Gali) of Karachi coast. In each species concentrations of eleven metals i.e., Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, Pb, Co, Cd and Hg were estimated. Data reveals high variability in metals (Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, Pb, Co, Cd and Hg) concentration in both species along the Karachi coast within and between seaweed species, sampling sites and collection time. Fig. 2. Variation in iron concentration of seaweeds (µg g-1) and seawater (mg l-1) at Karachi coast (1. Buleji 2. Paradise Point 3. Nathia Gali). 1202 INDIAN J. MAR. SCI., VOL. 44, NO. 8 AUGUST 2015 The levels of metals concentration ranged Individually the highest concentration of metals from 1.21- 7.13 mg g-1 for Mg, 0.4 – 6.4 µg g-1 Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb, Co, Cd and Hg were found in P. for Fe, 0.11-0.8 µg g-1 for Mn, 0.011- 0.187µg g- Pavonia, Mg, Fe, Mn in P. tetrastromatica and 1 for Zn, 0.012- 0.17 µg g-1 for Cr, 0.024-0.158 Ni was equal in both species. Among the studied µg g-1 for Pb, 0.01- 0.11 µg g-1 for Cu, 0.016- metals Mg is the essential element of nitrogen 0.063µg g-1 for Ni, 0.004-0.11 µg g-1 for Co, metabolism in algae, was found in high 0.005-0.046 µg g-1 for Cd and 0.0001-0.004 µg concentrations (1.21- 7.13 mg g-1) in both species g-1 for Hg at the three sites Buleji, Paradise Point of seaweed than the other metals. Cd was found and Nathia Gali in both species (Padina pavonia in very low concentrations than the other metals, and P. tetrastromatica) where as levels of metals it was found in low range and showed less concentration in seawater ranged from 1.07-13.66 variation. The concentrations of Mg, Cd and Co mg g-1 for Mg, 0.25 – 1.64 µg g-1 for Fe, 0.06- were high at the Buleji coast. Cu and Ni were 0.31 µg g-1 for Mn, 0.091- 0.76µg g-1 for Zn, high at Paradise Point and Fe, Mn, Zn, Cr, Pb and 0.13- 0.73 µg g-1 for Cr, 0.25-0.63µg g-1 for Pb, Hg were high at Nathia Gali (Figs. 1-11). It is 0.047- 1.22 µg g-1 for Cu, 0.037- 0.42µg g-1 for commentable that small variations in the Co, Cd Ni, 0.061-0.45 µg g-1 for Co, 0.017-0.38 µg g-1 and Hg levels were found among species, site and for Cd and 0.00001-0.0002 µg g-1 for Hg at the collection time, indicating that no major source of three sites Buleji, Paradise Point and Nathia Gali these metals occurred in Karachi coastal water.
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