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Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Quantification of Heavy Metals and Other Inorganic Contaminants on the Productivity of Microalgae
Published on: July 10, 2015
Trace metal accumulation by algae in Sepetiba Bay, Brazil
C S Karez1, V F Magalhaes, W C Pfeiffer
1Laboratório de Radioisótopos, Instituto de Biofisica Carlos Chagar Filho, UFRJ, Ilha do Fundão, 21949 Rio de Janeiro-RJ, Brasil.
Abstract:
Trace metal concentrations (Zn, Cd, Pb, Cr and Cu) were determined in some benthic algae from Sepetiba Bay, Brazil. This region has been modified by the increase of industrial activities during the last 30 years. Among species sampled the brown algae Padina gymnospora contained the greatest amount of Zn. The Bioconcentration Factor for Zn in P. gymnospora was found to be 10(4) under laboratory conditions. The absorption of (65)Zn depended on exposure time and increased with Zn concentrations in the medium. An insignificant amount of Zn desorbed from algae suggested a very high affinity with cellular binding sites. Zinc uptake by P. gymnospora is discussed by considering field and laboratory conditions.
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