Comparative Aspects on the Metallic and Organic Contaminants Content of the Red Alga Pyropia Leucosticta (Thuret) Neefus & J. Brodie, 2011 Obtained under Laboratory-Controlled Conditions and Natural Environment

Abstract

Macroalgal cultures, a new domain for the Romanian Black Sea coast, provide interesting information on the intermediate stages of development and reproduction of algae, and also raw algal material with exploitable potential in most of diverse fields (industrial, cosmetic, pharmaceutical). Porphyra and Pyropia species are considered the world most valuable mariculture algal products. The aim of the paper was to present the comparative aspects regarding the chemical composition (heavy metals, lipids and organic contaminants, respectively, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls) of the specimens obtained in laboratory culture with those collected from the natural environment. The analyzed biological material consisted of P. leucosticta tissue harvested from both laboratory culture and natural environment. After 5 months of experimental culture, the obtained wet biomass was 44.23 g, while the lyophilization dried biomass was 4.94 g. In the specimens obtained through reproductive elements manipulation, under laboratory-controlled conditions, 7 organic compounds were detected, which represent a much smaller number compared with the 20 compounds detected in specimens collected from natural environment. Meanwhile, the presence of all chlorinated organic pollutants was identified in the algal material collected from natural environment. Also, the lipids content was higher in cultured organisms. Heavy metal concentrations (20.72 - 31.91 µg/g d.w. Cu; 0.01-0.21 µg/g d.w. Cd; 12.14-18.69 µg/g d.w. Ni; 0.01-9.56 µg/g d.w. Cr) were comparable with the ranges reported for various macroalgae species from Black Sea region.