Journal of Environmental Biology

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals by freshwater algal species

of Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India

Santlal Jaiswar¹ *, Mudassar Anisoddin Kazi^1,2 and Shailesh Mehta³

¹Discipline of Marine Biotechnology and Ecology, CSIR - Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Bhavnagar-364 002, India

²Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, CSIR, New Delhi-110 025, India

³Department of Botany, Sir P.P. Institute of Science, M.K. Bhavngar University, Bhavnagar-364 002, India

*Corresponding Author E-mail: santlal@csmcri.org 

Publication Data

Paper received:

16 August 2014

Revised received:

17 January 2015

Accepted:

20 March 2015

Abstract

The present study investigated copper, cadmium, lead and zinc accumulation in algal species Oedogonium, Cladophora, Oscillatoria and Spirogyra from freshwater habitats of Bhavnagar, India. Eight different locations were periodically sampled during August 2009 to March 2011. The general trend of heavy metal concentrations in all the algal species in present study (except at few stations), were found to be in the following order: Zn>Cu>Pb>Cd.? Highest accumulation of Cu was recorded in Oedogonium, while Cladophora showed highest accumulation of Pb signifying a good bioaccumulator. Oscillatoria and Oedogonium were highest Zn accumulating algae which showed significant difference between the means at P<0.05. ANOVA was performed for comparing significance mean between the groups and within the group for heavy metals in water. The concentration of heavy metals in water was in the following order: Zn>Cu>Pb>Cd. The present study showed that Oedogonium, Cladophora, Oscillatoria and Spirogyra were excellent bioaccumulator and could be utilized as biomonitoring agents in water bodies receiving waste contaminated by metals. ?????  

 Key words

Algae, ANOVA, Bio accumulation, Biomonitoring, Heavy metal 

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