Seasonal Variation in Heavy Metal Concentration in Mangrove Foliage

Abstract

Seasonal variation in the concentration of some heavy metals in the leaves of seven species of mangrove vegetation from Goa, revealed that maximum concentration of iron and manganese occurs during the monsoon season without any significant toxic effect on the foliage of mangroves. Other metals like copper, nickel, cobalt and lead showed somewhat uniform concentration patterns. Copper and nickel were found to be greater (119.41 mu g/g) in Avicennia officinalis, while Acanthus ilicifolius showed high concentration (46.98 mu g/g) of cobalt. Nickel was found to be greater in Bruguiera gymnorhiza (113.6 mu g/g average) and Rhizophora mucronata (231.06 mu g/g average)