Elemental Composition of Eucheuma cottonii and Gracillaria sp using SEM- Energy Dispersive Spectroscopic Analysis Agusman*, Singgih Wibowo*
*Research Center for Fisheries Product and Marine Biotechnology
Abstract
Indonesia is the main producer of the marine culture E. cottonii seaweed and the brackish waters culture Gracillaria sp. The farmers usually dry that seaweeds before sent them to plant to be processed into carrageenan or agar products. The present study observed the chemical composition of seaweed E. cottonii and Gracillaria sp. using SEM- Energy Dispersive Spectroscopic (SEM-EDS) analysis than the distribution of the main salt-minerals in the surface and the cross-section thallus of both samples were mapping. The results showed that on the surface of E. cottonii contains order elements Cl> K> Na> S> Ca> C> O> Si> Al> Mg> Fe> Mn> Zn and on the cross-section contains order elements S> Cl> K> C > O> Na> Mg> Ca> Al> Zn> Fe> Si> Mn. While on the surface of the Gracillaria sp. showed the presence of elements in the following order Cl> K> Si> C> O> Al> S> Fe> C> Mg> Na> Mn> Zn and on the cross-section found elements in the following Cl> K> C> O> S> Na> Si> Al> Mg> Fe> Ca> Zn> Mn. The EDS mapping on the surface and cross-section of the thallus of both seaweeds shows a high proportion of K, and then the presence of Na, Mg, and Ca minerals confirms that these two types of seaweed have high potential to be developed into salts with special functional properties.
