Neutron Activation Analyses Used to Study Elemental Accumulation in Some Marine Macrophytes (Mediterranean Sea Coast of Egypt)

The concentrations of Na, Mg, Al, S, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Se Br, Rb, Sr, Zr, Mo, Ag, Sb, I, Cs, Ba, La, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb, Hf, Ta, W, Au, Th and U in 6 types of marine macrophytes (algae and seagrass): Gelidium pusillum (Stackhouse) Le Jolis, Ulva intestinalis Linnaeus, Amphiroa rigida J.V. Lamouroux, Hypnea sp., Cystoseira sp. and Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile (seagrass) collected from 3 stations along the Mediterranean Sea coast of Egypt were determined using instrumental neutron activation analysis. The contents of elements in marine macrophytes indicated that they accumulated elements at different levels depending on their type of species (brown, red, green and seagrass) and the ambient water conditions. However, the concentrations of Cr, Co, Ni, Se, Zr, Mo, Ag, Cs, La, Sm, Eu, Yb, Hf, Ta, Au and U were very similar in all samples. In general the levels of classically investigated elements, particularly Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Zn determined in the macrophytes in the present study are lower or within the wide range of values previously reported for species of these genera sampled along the Egyptian Mediterranean coast.