Transfer of Heavy Metals from Suspended Sediments to the Alga Stichococcus Bacillaris in an Estuarine Water Medium

Abstract

A bioassay has been carried out to determine the uptake of selected heavy metals from resuspended freshwater sediment by Stichococcusbacillaris. An apparatus was used in which a 0.45 µm pore diameter membrane separated the algae and particulates. When used with anestuarine water medium, this method demonstrated the release of heavy metals from particulates and subsequent bio-accumulation for some metal species. The amounts of metals accumulated in the algae indicated that the influence of salinity was important for distributions of metals in water, particulates, and algae.