ARSENIC IN MACROPHYTES OF THE ESTUARY COASTAL AREA OF THE ONEGA RIVER (WHITE SEA)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29006/1564-2291.JOR-2026.54(2).3Keywords:
arsenic, <em>Fucus distichus</em>, <em>Ascophyllum nodosum</em> pollution, White Sea, Onega River, seaweed useAbstract
The article discusses the results of studies on the arsenic content in the brown algae Fucus distichus and Ascophyllum nodosum found along the littoral zone of the Onega River estuary. The obtained arsenic concentrations in Fucus distichus and Ascophyllum nodosum were only slightly different: 6.3 mg/kg and 7.05 mg/kg, respectively, during the autumn period. The average arsenic concentrations recorded in the summer also varied slightly from the autumn figures, ranging from 3.0 to 9.1 mg/kg in the sampled fucoid algae taken from different sites along the littoral at Cape Pil’yemsky. The arsenic content in the brown algae of the Onega River estuary was found to be low compared to other areas, indicating the safety of these algae as commercial resources. It is possible that the source of arsenic in the White Sea waters and its subsequent accumulation in Fucus distichus and Ascophyllum nodosum is due to the weathering of coastal rock formations, which also explains the accumulation of arsenic in various natural objects.
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