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Potential of green/brown algae for monitoring of metal(loid)s pollution in the coastal seawater and sediments of the Persian Gulf: ecological and health risk assessment

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Abstract

The current investigation evaluates metal (loid)s biomonitoring using algae as well as the metal(loid) pollution of seawaters and sediments in the northern part along the Persian Gulf. Algae, seawater, and sediment samples were collected from four coastal areas with different land applications. The concentration of Ni, V, As, and Cd in abiotic samples (seawater and sediment) and four species of algae (Enteromorpha intestinalis, Rhizoclonium riparium, Cystoseira myrica, and Sargassum boveanum) was measured using an ICP-AES device. Concentrations of potentially toxic elements in seawater, sediments, and algae species followed the trend of “Ni˃V˃As˃Cd.” The area of Asaloyeh (with the highest industrial activity) and the Dayyer area (with the lowest industrial activity) provided the highest and lowest amounts of metal(loid)s pollution, respectively. The average concentrations of V and As in four algae species significantly differed for all sampled areas. Obtaining the bio-concentration factor (BCF) > 1 for seawater and < 1 for sediment indicated that the studied algae have the ability to efficiently concentrate metal(loid)s from seawater and the limited accumulation of metals in sediments. According to the Nemerow pollution index, the order of metal(loid)s pollution for the studied areas estimated as Asaloyeh>Ganaveh>Bushehr>Dayyer. Algae species of C. myrica and E. intestinalis can often serve as suitable biological tools for monitoring seawater and sediment quality.

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Funding

The authors are thankful to the Bushehr University of Medical Sciences for providing a grant (Grant No.: BPUMS-1296-3) to conduct this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health and Nutrition, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran

    Vajiheh Haghshenas, Sina Dobaradaran, Seyedenayat Hashemi & Bahman Ramavandi

  2. Student Research Committee, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Raheleh Kafaei

  3. Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Health and Nutrition, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran

    Rahim Tahmasebi

  4. Systems Environmental Health and Energy Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran

    Sina Dobaradaran & Bahman Ramavandi

  5. The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran

    Sina Dobaradaran

  6. Department for Management of Science and Technology Development, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Soleyman Sahebi

  7. Faculty of Environment and Labour Safety, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Soleyman Sahebi

  8. Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Environmental Engineering Program, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45221-0012, USA

    George A. Sorial

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  1. Vajiheh Haghshenas
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  2. Raheleh Kafaei
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  6. Soleyman Sahebi
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Correspondence to Bahman Ramavandi.

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Haghshenas, V., Kafaei, R., Tahmasebi, R. et al. Potential of green/brown algae for monitoring of metal(loid)s pollution in the coastal seawater and sediments of the Persian Gulf: ecological and health risk assessment. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 7463–7475 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-07481-0

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