Toxicity and Accumulation of Lead and Cadmium in the Filamentous Green Alga Cladophora fracta (O.F. Muller ex Vahl) Kutzing: A Laboratory Study

Chantana Lamai^a, Maleeya Kruatrachue^a,*, Prayad Pokethitiyook^a, E. Suchart Upatham^b, and Varasaya Soonthornsarathool^a

ABSTRACT: The toxicity and accumulation of the heavy metals, lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in a common filamentous green alga, Cladophora fracta, were studied. C. fracta were cultured in a modified Chu No. 10 medium, which was supplemented with 5, 10, 20, 40 or 80 mg/L of Pb or 0.5,1, 2, 4 or 8 mg/L of Cd, and were separately harvested after 2, 4, 6 and 8 days. The toxicity symptoms of Pb and Cd to C. fracta showed damage and reduced number of chloroplasts, disintegrated cell wall and death. There were significant decreases in the relative growth and total chlorophyll content when the exposure time and concentration were increased. The accumulation study showed that there were significant increases of metal levels in algal tissue when the exposure time and concentration were increased. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) of Pb was higher than that of Cd at the same duration, suggesting that the accumulation potential of C. fracta for Pb was higher than that for Cd.

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a Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
b Faculty of Science, Burapha University, Chonburi 20130, Thailand.

* Corresponding author, E-mail: scmkt@mahidol.ac.th

Received 9 Jan 2004, Accepted 11 Feb 2005