The effect of sulfate on selenate bioaccumulation in two freshwater primary producers: A duckweed (<i>Lemna minor</i>) and a green alga (<i>Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata</i>)

Predicting selenium bioaccumulation is complicated because site-specific conditions, including the ionic composition of water, affect the bioconcentration of inorganic selenium into the food web. Selenium tissue concentrations were measured in Lemna minor and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata following exposure to selenate and sulfate. Selenium accumulation differed between species, and sulfate reduced selenium uptake in both species, indicating that ionic constituents, in particular sulfate, are important in modifying selenium uptake by primary producers.