Edible seaweeds can be nutritious foods with potential health benefits due to the unique phytochemicals they contain. However, these seaweeds also can take up contaminants that may be harmful to human health. In collaboration with Dr. Ruth Sofield, a toxicologist at Western Washington University’s Department of Environmental Sciences, we have been examining concentrations of metals, PCBs, and perfluorinated compounds in seaweeds that are of interest to Washington’s nascent seaweed aquaculture industry. We are also exploring whether metals can be transferred from seaweeds to shellfish n co-culture operations.
