Examining the Exchange of Metals with the Biomass of Acidophilic Algae using Stripping Voltammetry

Exchange of metals with the biomass of plant organisms, including algae, are of interest in biology, biogeochemistry and biotechnology. This work studies the interaction of individual thermophilic red algae Galdieria sulphuraria (Class: Rhodophyta; Family: Cyanidiaceae) with copper and lead in the environment which is regarded as aquatic. Metal interactions with plant organisms and biomass including algae, are of biological interest. In this paper the interactions of individual thermophilic red algae Galdieria sulphuraria (Class: Rhodophyta; Family: Cyanidiaceae) with copper and lead in the aquatic environment is studied. In such ecosystems, this extremophilic, acidophilic organism is found as hot springs and in geothermal habitats. This article shows the experimental results of interaction between this organism with biomass and mortmass. The results designate that the biomass of this organism immobilises copper after incubation in aquatic medium with heavy metals. Lead was also added to the environment of incubation, but no lead immobilisation from the aquatic environment was observed. The G. sulphuraria mortmass immobilised neither copper nor lead.