Table 5.
Descriptive statistics of element concentrations measured in macroalgae along the Iranian coast of the Caspian Sea
| Ca | Mg | Fe | Al | P | K | Mn | Zn | Ti | Cu | Cr | V | Ni | Co | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | 15,000 | 1500 | 760 | 890 | 350 | 220 | 30 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 0.01 | 1 | 0.01 |
| 1st quartile | 18,000 | 2200 | 1100 | 1200 | 390 | 300 | 50 | 40 | 25 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0.1 |
| Median | 21,000 | 2500 | 1900 | 1700 | 440 | 350 | 80 | 50 | 30 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0.5 |
| Mean | 21,000 | 2500 | 1800 | 1800 | 500 | 430 | 75 | 60 | 40 | 30 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0.6 |
| 3rd quartile | 24,000 | 2700 | 2200 | 2200 | 600 | 540 | 100 | 70 | 30 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Maximum |
27,000 a |
4000 a |
3300 b |
2700 b |
940 b |
860 b |
110 b |
100 b |
150 b |
80 a |
12 b |
6 b |
5 b |
2 a |
Element concentrations are in mg/kg
Letters in bold below maximum values indicate the algal species where the maximum was observed. Samples belonging to the genus Spirogyra were excluded because they had the lowest metal concentrations. a, Sargassum; b, Enteromorpha