Elemental analysis of some green and brown seaweeds from the coastal belt of Ghana
Eight seaweed species were sampled for a two year period from June 1996 to August 1998 along the coast of Ghana which is being washed by the gulf of Guinea (part of the Atlantic ocean). An analysis was made of the levels of fourteen chemical elements namely: Al, As, Au, Ca, Cd, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Hg, V and Zn by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). Apart from As, Au, Cd, Fe, and Hg the elements were measured in all the seaweed species studied. Al, Ca, K, Mg, and Na generally showed the highest concentrations in most of the species analysed while the Hg content was low. The results showed high variability in and between species, among sampling sites and times of collection. The high values of metal concentration in the macroalgae suggest that these marine organisms can be used as biological indicators for studying marine pollution.