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The Effect of Different Concentrations of Copper and Lead on Growth, Chlorophyll a Content, Protein, and Lipid in the Microalga Chaetoceros muelleri
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Zahra Firoozi   , Mohammad Reza Taherizadeh * , Sohila Ebrahimi , Zohreh Barkhordari Ahmady |
| Department of Marine Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences and Technology, University of Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas, Iran , taheri.1965@gmail.com |
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Abstract: (224 Views) |
Background and Aim: Heavy metal pollution is considered one of the most serious threats to aquatic ecosystems due to its chemical stability, non-biodegradability, and potential for bioaccumulation. This study aimed to investigate the toxic effects of varying concentrations of copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) on growth indices, chlorophyll a content, protein, and lipid in the microalga Chaetoceros muelleri.
Methods: C. muelleri was cultured in F2 medium at 25 ppt salinity. Experimental treatments included five concentrations (0, 5, 50, 250, and 500 μg/L) of each metal (Cu and Pb). The effects of these treatments on cell density, chlorophyll a content, protein, and lipid were evaluated over a 15-day period.
Results: The results indicated that concentrations of 250 and 500 μg/L of both metals significantly inhibited algal growth, whereas the highest growth was observed at 5 μg/L. The maximum chlorophyll a content was measured in copper treatments, while the lowest was observed in lead treatments. Furthermore, copper at low concentrations reduced, but at high concentrations increased, protein and lipid contents. In contrast, lead at low concentrations enhanced protein and lipid levels, while at higher concentrations it reduced them.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that while C. muelleri can tolerate and grow at low concentrations of heavy metals, increasing concentrations exert inhibitory effects on growth. The variable responses of cellular metabolites (protein and lipid) to different metal concentrations may reflect distinct adaptive and defensive mechanisms employed by this microalga when exposed to oxidative stress. |
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| Keywords: Heavy metals, Copper, Lead, Chaetoceros muelleri, Chlorophyll a, Ecotoxicology |
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Full-Text [PDF 648 kb]
(95 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Original Article |
Subject:
Marine Medicine
Received: 2025/06/11 | Accepted: 2025/09/9 | Published: 2025/09/1
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