Biosorption of Heavy Metals by Algae Communities in Water Streams Impacted by the Acid Mine Drainage in the Coal Mining Region of Santa Catarina - Brazil

摘要

The acid mine-drainage (AMD), from the ecological point of view, affects the aquatic environments. The low pH and the high concentration of sulphates and dissolved metal ions reduce the biological diversity. These systems can be characterized as simple ecosystems, dominated by acidophilus and acid tolerant organisms. In the coal mining region of Santa Catarina, Brazil, the water streams impacted by AMD can be inhabited by few algae groups including the following genuses: Microspora, Eunotia, Euglena, Mougeotia, and Frustulia. The aim of this work was to study the metal accumulation by these algae communities (periphyton) and their contribution in the water decontamination. The results showed that the algae biomass presents high concentrations of metals, especially iron. The results showed that is possible to associate the composition of the biofilms with the water chemistry and with the natural attenuation of AMD's environmental impact.