Distribution of Iodine in Egyptian Marine Algae

Thirty-two species of Egyptian marine algae of Chlorophycophyta, Phaeophycophyta and Rhodophycophyta collected from the Mediterranean (17 spp.) and Red (15 spp.) Seas has been analyzed for their content of iodine. ' Distribution of iodine in Egyptian marine algae showed noticeable local differences. The highest values were obtained in the species collected from the Mediterranean Sea. Iodine contents of the investigated species exhibited significant differences according to the species and showed characteristics in relation to the division. Much higher levels of iodine were observed in brown species than in red and green species. Iodine contents in the red species were of moderate levels. Dictyota dichotoma, D. divaricata, Dilophus fasciola and Gelidium latifolium were found to have considerably higher levels of iodine indicating that these species, rather than the others are potentially a better source of iodine. Iodine was accumulated selectively by various organs of Sargassum salicifolium and S. subrepandum. Generally speaking, the leaves of two species of Sargassum had higher content of iodine that did the stipes. In contrast, Turbinaria triquetra exhibited no well marked differences in iodine levels between leaves and stipes. Seasonal variations in iodine content were determined for the red alga Gelidium latifolium and brown alga Sargassum salicifolium. In G. latifolium there were well marked maximum and minimum contents of iodine. The iodine level of S. salicifolium showed little variation with season of the year. IntroductionAccording to Vernadsky (1954), the biosphere is permeated with atoms of dispersed