title: Trace metals and radionuclides in macroalgae from Moroccan coastal waters.
abstract: Macroalgae species Codium sp, Bangia atropurpurea, Membranoptera alata, Plocamium cartilagineum, Dictyota dichotoma, Fucus spiralis and Stypocaulon scoparia were collected from seven stations along the north coast of Morocco. Samples were analysed to determine activities of naturally occurring radionuclides ((210)Pb, U isotopes and (40)K) and concentrations of metals (Zn, Fe, Co, Cu, Ni, Mn, Pb, Cd, As and Cr) using radiometric and ICP-OES techniques, respectively. Metal concentrations were within ranges reported in the scientific literature, and concentrations of bio-essential elements were in the order Mn>Fe> Zn>Cu in all samples. Brown algae had the highest concentrations of almost all metals, and concentrations decreased in the order brown>red>green algae. With respect to radionuclides, the red alga P. cartilagineum had the highest activities of (210)Pb, in most cases an order of magnitude higher than for the green alga Codium sp. (234)U and (238)U activities in all algae samples were in the range 0.96- 7.61 and 1.16-6.14 Bq/kg dry weight, respectively. Our analyses of radionuclide activities and metal concentrations in marine macroalgae showed large differences among taxa. These results provide insights into which algal species should be used for biomonitoring programmes.
authors.affiliation: Centre National de l'Energie, des Sciences et des Techniques Nucléaires, B.P. 1382 10001 Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: Azzouz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benkdad
authors.forename: Abdelmourhit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laissaoui
authors.forename: Maria Victoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Tornero
authors.forename: Moncef
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benmansour
authors.forename: ElMahjoub
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chakir
authors.forename: Ignacio Moreno
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Garrido
authors.forename: Julian Blasco
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Moreno
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*; D009018:Morocco; D011868:Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D012624:Seaweed / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D011868:Radioisotopes; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical