Effect of selenium on the uptake of cadmium by the marine microalga Hymenomonas (cricosphaera) elongata

Abstract The uptake of cadmium by the marine microalga Hymenomonas elongata was previously shown to be dependent on duration, cadmium concentration in the medium, growth phase and light. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of selenium (as selenite) on cadmium uptake. The variables taken into consideration in the two-level factorial experimental design were: Cd concentration (0·5 and 2 μM), Se 4+ (0·5 and 2 μM) and duration (1 and 25 h). The studied response was the cadmium concentration in the algae. When selenium is present, the uptake of cadmium significantly increased with duration.