Effect of Copper on Pigments Content and Growth of Red Microalgae, Porphyridium cruentum

Copper (Cu) is one of heavy metals and the most pollutant at seawater ecosystem. Various methods have been developed to reduce heavy metal pollution with in physics, chemistry and biology method. Technical problems and high costs cause human use biological method (bioremediation). One of them used microalgae Porphyridium cruentum.This study aims to find out the influence of copper exposure levels on chlorophyll, pigment Phycobiliproteins, and the growth of microalgae Porphyridium cruentum. P. cruentum stock was collected from Main Center Brackish Water Aquaculture Development, Situbondo. The research design this study used a experimental laboratory. Concentrations of heavy metals Cu used are 0 ppm as control, 1 ppm, 2 ppm, 3 ppm, and 4 ppm. Heavy metals Cu analysised by AAS and measurent pigments (chlorophyll and phycobiliproteins) performed by spectrometric UV-Vis. The results showed that heavy metals Cu with different concentrations give a very effect influence (P 0.01) to pigment (chlorophyll and phycobiliproteins) content, BCF, and effect influence (P 0.05) to growth. The high Cu resulted decrease to growth of microalgae, cell density, pigments (chlorophyll and phycobiliproteins), and bio concentration factor Porphyridium cruentum. The highly percentage absorption of heavy metals Cu at 13.1% (1 ppm), 8.2% (2 ppm), 6.9% (3 ppm), and 2.6% (4 ppm). The results suggest that P. cruentum has the potential as bioremediator.