The ability of the unicellular giant alga Acetabularia sp. to bioconcentrate aquatic mercury in whole and anucleated cells

The uptake of mercury by the marine alga Acetabularia sp. was studied using mercury chloride (HgCl2). The algae were exposed to water contaminated with HgCl2 for various periods of time: 5 min. - 6 h. and 1 day - 7 days. Hg was measured by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrophotometry and the results obtained indicate that Acetabularia is a good absorbent of aquatic mercury. Moreover, the uptake of Hg appeared not to be highly affected either by the presence of a protein synthesis inhibitor (Cycloheximide), or by the absence of the nucleus in long term contamination.