The lifestyle and aquiferous system of sponges are the main factors
behind their structural characteristics. They are capable of filtering large
volumes of water and have a high rate of retention for particles of 0.2 to 50
microns (µm) and therefore a large capacity accumulation of pollutants. At the
same time, members of all sponge classes (Demospongea, Sclerospongea,
Hyalospongea) can secrete mineral elements called spicules of opaline silica.
These siliceous spicules constitute their skeletons involved in several
functions, namely in defense, support and the like. Cliona viridis is chosen
for the study of mineral composition, and contribution to the evaluation of the
quality of the marine environment by measuring the concentration of certain
heavy metals in two different zones. Silica SiO2 is 70.99% (± 0.23) of the
biomass of the sponge with other minerals such as sodium, chlorine and calcium.
The zinc (Zn) is the most accumulated metal then Iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al). A
large study with several species collected from different areas will allow us
to understand the process of accumulation of silica and heavy metals and have a
good image of level of contamination of the marine environment. - See more at: .
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