Abstract
The pursuit of a good candidate to biomonitor environmental pollutants has been on the increase. In this study, the concentrations of Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr, Pb and Ni in sediment, seawater and seagrass Cymodocea serrulata compartments and antioxidant enzymes activities in C. serrulata were determined. Our results revealed that bioconcentration factors for all the metals were less than 1 (BCF < 1) and concentrations in seagrass compartments were in the order root > leaf > rhizome for Fe and Mn, leaf > root > rhizome for Cu, Zn, Pb and Ni, and root > rhizome > leaf for Cd and Cr. Effect range low concentrations (ER-L) revealed that Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and Ni concentrations were above ER-L values and Cr concentration was below ER-L values while concentrations in seawater for all the heavy metals were above the estimate average element concentrations in seawater (ECS). Significant variation (p < 0.05) was recorded for heavy metals in sediment, seawater, seagrass compartments and heavy metal concentrations across stations. Influence of heavy metals on antioxidant enzymes activities; catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were recorded, and high activities of the antioxidants were recorded in station S8 corresponding to high concentrations of heavy metals in the same station. There is a need for the promotion of biomonitoring networks across the marine environment using C. serrulata and antioxidant enzymes as biomarkers of oxidative stress caused by environmental pollutants.
Highlights
Heavy metal pollution in the marine ecosystem is on the increase worldwide and the concentrations of heavy metals in natural aquatic ecosystems in the last decade have reached dramatic levels [1,2]
Using sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) [25] to make comparisons with concentrations of metals in sediment and effect range low concentrations revealed that Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Ni concentrations were above Effect range low concentrations (ER-L) values and Cr concentration was below ER-L values
Concentrations in seawater for all the heavy metals were above the estimate average element concentrations in seawater ECS [26]
Summary
Heavy metal pollution in the marine ecosystem is on the increase worldwide and the concentrations of heavy metals in natural aquatic ecosystems in the last decade have reached dramatic levels [1,2]. Heavy metals are one of the major pollutants of anthropogenic sources in the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia [5]. This is a result of pressures from humans such as dredging, reclamation, desalination and above all oil spills, as the region is one of the largest producers of crude oil worldwide [6]. The increase in heavy metal concentrations in the marine environment has led to the need for effective monitoring of the status of this environment as regards pollution by heavy metals This provides opportunities for vital preservation of the marine ecosystem and conservation of other natural resources from the same environment [7,8]
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