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The Tolerance of Stigeoclonium Tenue K TZ To Heavy Metals in South Wales PDF
The Tolerance of Stigeoclonium Tenue K TZ To Heavy Metals in South Wales PDF
R.O. McLean
To cite this article: R.O. McLean (1974) The tolerance of Stigeoclonium�tenue Kütz. To heavy
metals in South Wales, British Phycological Journal, 9:1, 91-95, DOI: 10.1080/00071617400650111
TA~t.E I. Rivers covered in tbe survey including their pollution classification after the Depart-
ment of the Environment
RESULTS
The raw d a t a collected are listed in M c L e a n (1972). The total range covered
for each e n v i r o n m e n t a l factor a n d the range within which each alga occurred are
given in T a b l e II. Stigeoclonium was f o u n d t h r o u g h o u t the whole range o f i r o n
a n d m a n g a n e s e recorded, b u t only in the lower ranges o f copper, lead a n d zinc
u p to 0.02, 0.20 a n d 0.55 mg 1-1 respectively. O b s e r v a t i o n s o f the first 21 stations
surveyed, which included the m e t a l - p o l l u t e d Clarach, Ystwyth a n d R h e i d o l
rivers, showed that zinc a n d lead were f o u n d t h r o u g h o u t these stations, with
c o p p e r at station 11 a n d i r o n in stations 11~-21. N o detectable B.O.D. values a n d
low levels o f nitrogen a n d p h o s p h o r u s occurred at these stations which h a d i r o n
present (Fig. 1). The p H levels in these stations were u n i f o r m and generally b e l o w
p H 7.0. Stations with the highest c o n t e n t o f lead a n d zinc in the survey, e.g. N o .
39, Zn = 25 m g 1-1 a n d N o . 5, P b = 0.6 m g I-1, h a d undetectable B.O.D. values
a n d were n o t colonised with Stigeoclonium. Cladophora was f o u n d in similar
ranges o f manganese, lead, zinc a n d c o p p e r to Stigeoclonium b u t showed absence
f r o m areas with high levels o f iron. S. tenue was generally f o u n d in wide ranges
o f m o s t o f the other e n v i r o n m e n t a l factors r e c o r d e d ; Cladophora tolerated only a
Tolerance of Stigeoclonium tenue to heavy metals 93
TABLEII. The total range covered for each factor in the survey together with ranges for occur-
rence of Stigeoclonium and Cladophora
DISCUSSION
The Mersey River B o a r d ' s Standards for Trade Effluent (1960) suggested that
levels of zinc, copper, lead a n d iron should in each case n o t exceed 1-0 mg 1-1
for total dissolved a n d undissolved metal. Field data d e m o n s t r a t e d that Stigeo-
clonium is tolerant to iron at levels far above this standard, whereas copper, lead
and zinc are less tolerated; thus b o t h S. tenue as well as C. glomerata existed only
in the lower ranges recorded for these three metals. This seems to contradict the
suggestions of Butcher (1955), Palmer (1959) a n d Fjerdingstad (1965) that
Stigeoelonium is tolerant to metal pollutants with special reference to copper.
Additionally, W h i t t o n ' s (1970, 1972) suggestions that Stigeoclonium seems more
resistant to metals than Cladophora was not supported for a n y metal except iron.
In fact, it is possible that river sites with Stigeoclonium present a n d Cladophora
absent were n o t clear of the latter because of metal pollution, b u t because the
organic load was b e y o n d Cladophora's tolerance a n d still o p t i m u m for Stigeo-
clonium. T h e former's greater sensitivity to organic load was d e m o n s t r a t e d by the
lower m a x i m a of B.O.D. a n d nitrite conditions tolerated by Cladophora in this
survey as c o m p a r e d with Stigeoclonium (Table II).
It is possible that in order for Stigeoclonium to d e m o n s t r a t e its full tolerance to
metal pollution, as described by previous authors, suitable organic c o n d i t i o n s
providing o p t i m u m nitrogen a n d p h o s p h o r u s levels should prevail. I n such condi-
tions where o p t i m u m growth could occur, greater tolerance to zinc, lead a n d
copper would exist. I n respect of zinc a n d lead, those stations in this survey which
were rich in these metals were generally poor in basic nutrients. T h u s even t h o u g h
the alga could exist in such low n u t r i e n t levels in spring, as d e m o n s t r a t e d by the
ranges of occurrence (Table II), when zinc or lead was present, its tolerance to
these metals could n o t be expressed a n d the alga would be absent. Additionally,
the absence of chelation of these metals in such a situation would render them to
94 R.O. McLEAN
be in the free ionic form and to be more toxic to the alga. A tolerance to iron,
however, could still be expressed in conditions of low B.O.D. and nutrient levels.
In comparison, at stations high in copper, e.g. No. 67, Cu = 0.04 mg 1-1, low
B.O.D. values did not exist and the absence of the alga was probably due to a
direct toxic effect of the metal.
The metal tolerance of Stigeoclonium is thus possibly associated with its
tolerance and affinity for organic pollution. In the absence of such conditions,
Fe
0'6
2 _.
o
I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 II 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2 0 21
Stations
FIG 1. Concentrations of Zn, Cu, Pb and Fe and abundance of Stigcoc/onium temtc in
stations 1-21.
Tolerance of Stigeocloniurn tenue to heavy metals 95
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks are due to Mrs K. Lewis and Miss M. Mitchell for their generous help in the field
work, and Dr K. Benson-Evans, Mr P. F. Williams and Mr A. K. Jones for their advice. The
Usk, Glamorgan and South West Wales River Authorities supplied chemical data, and the
work was financed by the Natural Environment Research Council.
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MCLEAN, R. O., 1972. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Wales.
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