EVALUATION OF SPIROGYRA SP. AS A BIOINDICATOR OF HEAVYMETAL POLLUTION IN A TROPICAL AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTV. CHAND AND I. VANAVANAAbstract Due to the wide occurrence of environmental pollution, heavy metals need to be closely monitored in the aquatic environment because of its ecotoxicological effects on biota. In this regard, biomonitoring as a tool for the assessment of metal pollution in aquatic ecosystem is quite appealing. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate algae as a potential bio indicator ofheavy metal pollution in an aquatic environment in Fiji. Spirogyra sp. was sampled from a mining impacted water resource and analysed for heavy metals (manganese, copper, chromium, lead and zinc) using atomic absorption spectrometry. The order of metal accumulation in Spirogyra sp. wasfound as Mn > Cu > Cr > Pb > Zn. The results show that Spirogyra sp. is capable of accumulating heavy metals from polluted water and may be used a bioindicator species in environmentalmonitoring. Finally, the elevated heavy metal levels in the VGR aquatic environment could posean ecological risk and appropriate remediation strategies are recommended to minimise adverse impacts to aquatic life. |