Trace metal contamination of the aquatic plant Hydrilla verticillata and associated sediment in a coastal Alabama creek (Gulf of Mexico – USA)

The objectives of this study were to (i) assess trace metal concentrations in Hydrilla verticillata and sediment from an estuarine creek in Alabama (USA), where high metal levels in biota were previously reported, and (ii) investigate the relationship between metal concentrations in H. verticillata and the sediment compartment. Our results indicate that sediment and H. verticillata exhibit moderate metal concentrations in the study area. We found that levels in plant tissues can be up to five times higher than in the sediment (e.g., Cd), suggesting that H. verticillata can take up and store several trace metals (Cd, Hg, Ni, and Zn) from this compartment. Together with studies focused on the uptake and accumulation of trace metals from the surrounding water, laboratory- and field-based studies are needed to better evaluate this plant’s ability to acquire metals from the sediment that constitutes a contaminant sink in human-impacted coastal regions.