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Bioaccumulation and biotransformation of arsenic by the brown macroalga Sargassum patens C. Agardh in seawater: effects of phosphate and iron ions

Journal of Applied Phycology volume 31, pages 2669–2685 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

The toxicity and bioaccumulation and biotransformation potential of inorganic arsenic (IAs) species As(V) and As(III) were investigated using Sargassum patens under laboratory culture for 7 days. Algal chlorophyll fluorescence decreased with increasing As(V) and As(III) concentrations, being significantly affected by As(III) treatments. Higher As(III) concentration negatively affected growth rate, and P and Fe limitation greatly enhanced IAs toxicity. The extracellular, intracellular, and total bioaccumulation of As(III) and As(V) varied significantly depending on initial concentrations and addition of P and Fe. P and Fe availability suppressed intracellular As accumulation in As(V) medium but not in As(III) medium. In P-rich (10 μmol L−1) medium, intracellular As was reduced by 4.7% and 9.9% when As(V) in the medium was constant (4.0 μmol L−1), under Fe-limited (0 μmol L−1) and Fe-rich (10 μmol L−1) conditions, respectively. However, the Fe-rich condition positively affected extracellular As accumulation from both As source. Extracellular As increased by 43.5% and 38.8% in P-limited + Fe-rich cultures with 4.0 μmol L−1 of As(V) and As(III), respectively. Algae exhibited greater absorption and adsorption to As(V) than to As(III). The reduced metabolites of As(III) (3.5 to 4.9% of the total As) and oxidized metabolites of As(V) (2.0 to 3.7% of the total As) were recorded as biotransformed species from coexisting media containing As(V) and As(III) at a constant 4.0 μmol L−1, respectively. Both P and Fe had significant influences on the variation in behaviors of IAs. This information is vital in terms of As research in marine ecosystems.

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Acknowledgements

The study has been partially supported by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (15H05118 and 17K00622) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan

    M. Abdullah Al Mamun, Yoshiki Omori & Rimana Islam Papry

  2. Department of Soil Science, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, 5200, Bangladesh

    M. Abdullah Al Mamun

  3. Advanced Technology Research Laboratories, Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal Corporation, 20-1 Shintomi, Futtsu City, Chiba, 293-8511, Japan

    Chika Kosugi

  4. Institute of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan

    Osamu Miki, Asami S. Mashio, Teruya Maki & Hiroshi Hasegawa

  5. Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima City, Fukushima, 960-1296, Japan

    Ismail M. M. Rahman

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Mamun, M.A.A., Omori, Y., Papry, R.I. et al. Bioaccumulation and biotransformation of arsenic by the brown macroalga Sargassum patens C. Agardh in seawater: effects of phosphate and iron ions. J Appl Phycol 31, 2669–2685 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-018-1721-x

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Keywords

  • Bioaccumulation
  • Biotransformation
  • Chlorophyll fluorescence
  • Inorganic As
  • Macroalgae
  • Sargassum patens
  • Phaeophyta