EFFECT OF HEAVY METALS (Cu AND Zn) ON THE CONTENT OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC PIGMENTS IN THE CELLS OF ALGAE CHLORELLA VULGARIS

• Published in: Journal of Ecological Engineering Vol. 19; no. 3; pp. 18 - 28
• Main Authors: Kondzior, Paweł, Butarewicz, Andrzej
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Polish Society of Ecological Engineering (PTIE) 01-05-2018
• Subjects: algae; Chlorella vulgaris; copper; heavy metals; photosynthetic pigments; zinc
• ISSN: 2299-8993; 2299-8993
• DOI: 10.12911/22998993/85375

The purpose of this paper is to determine the effect of heavy metals on the photosynthetic pigments of chlorophyll a, b and the carotenoids found in the cells of algae Chlorella vulgaris. In order to analyze the influence of heavy metals on Chlorella vulgaris algae, two heavy metals were chosen, they are copper and zinc. Samples for analysis were collected daily for 7 days. Copper(II) sulphate, which is widely regarded as an algicide, was used in the study. Chlorella vulgaris grows at the highest concentration tested, amounting to 0.15 mg CuSO4/dm3. In the trial with a concentration of 0.15 mg CuSO4/dm3 a decrease in the content of chlorophyll a was observed which was lower by 63% in comparison to the control sample after 7 days of incubation was observed. In the second study using zinc(II) sulphate at a concentration of 100 mg ZnSO4/dm3 death of Chlorella vulgaris was observed after 5 days of incubation. In subsequent tests with lower concentrations of zinc(II) sulphate Chlorella vulgaris is growing, but with less dynamics than is the case in the control sample. The increase in the content of photosynthetic pigments along with the incubation time indicates the development of algae breeding. The conducted research shows that the Chlorella vulgaris algae has a specific resistance to the presence of elevated content of tested heavy metals in the breeding medium.