Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2023
Höfundar / Authors: Rebecca Sim (1,2), Marta Weyer (3), Ásta Pétursdóttir (1)
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: 1. Matís, 2. Háskóli Íslands, 2. The University of Aberdeen
Kynnir / Presenter: Rebecca Sim
Brown macroalgae are widely known to accumulate high levels of arsenic from the surrounding environment, some of which may be in the form of carcinogenic inorganic arsenic (iAs). Arsenic accumulation in seaweed has been shown to vary between season, species and section of thallus, and as such it is likely iAs will also have a strong dependence on these factors. The aim of this study was to investigate seasonal and spatial trends in iAs concentrations in Iceland's kelp and wrack species in an effort to understand more about arsenic metabolism in seaweeds. Intact thalli were collected during May 2021 and February 2022, and subsequently sectioned into anatomical parts e.g., stipe, frond or sporophyll. The thallus sections from 5 species of brown algae were then analysed for inorganic arsenic content using HPLC-ICP-MS. Laminaria digitata typically contained elevated concentrations of iAs, with the highest levels found in the frond sections of the thallus. A similar trend was not observed for other Laminariales, where concentrations were relatively low with highest levels in the stipe section. Fucales contained the lowest amounts of iAs, with no significant intra-thallus differences observed. These findings may suggest that arsenic uptake and metabolism are species specific, and the results may additionally be useful for optimising harvesting times to ensure low levels of iAs and algae products that are safe for consumers.