PHTHALATE ESTERS IN MARINE ALGAE

Phthalate esters in marine algae

Tuncay Gezgin, Kasim Cemal Güven, Göksel Akçin

University of Istanbul, Institute of Marine Sciences and Management Vefa, Istanbul, TURKEY
Yıldız Technical University, Faculty of Science and Art, Chemistry Department, Istanbul, TURKEY

Abstract

o-Phthalate esters as diethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, di-isobutyl phthalate and diethylhexyl phthalate were identified at surface and inner part of algae collected in the Bosphorus, as Ulva lactuca, Enteromorpha linza, Cystoseria barbata, Pterocladia capillaceae and Ceramium rubrum. The same esters were also detected in seawater samples taken from the same area. Thus parallelism in pollution was noted between the algae and the surrounding seawater.

Keywords: Phthalates, algae, Bosphorus