Distribution of Accumulated Arsenic in the Seaweed Hijiki, Hizikia fusiforme Okam. (1)

Abstract

To investigate the distribution of the arsenic accumulated by Hijiki plants, we collected Hijiki plants along the seashores of Tushima Archipelago, Japan in May. Hijiki plants were separated into several parts such as leaves, stems and roots. After washing them with distilled water, the samples were lyophilized. Arsenic was determined by neutron activation analysis in the nuclear reactor of Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto University. The arsenic localization in individual plants along their stems was not uniform, when expressed in μg arsenic per g of wet or dry weight (ppm) as well as μg arsenic per unit length of the stem. This may suggest that the accumulating process of arsenic changes during their growth, reflecting at least partially the variable environmental conditions of the ocean.