New method for toxicity assessment in marine and brackish environments using the macroalgaGracilaria tenuistipitata(Gracilariales, Rhodophyta)
✍ Scribed by Kurt Haglund; Marie Björklund; Sara Gunnare; Anneli Sandberg; Ulf Olander; Marianne Pedersén
- Book ID
- 104623078
- Publisher
- Springer
- Year
- 1996
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 711 KB
- Volume
- 326-327
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1573-5141
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
A growth inhibition test method was developed using the macroalga Gracilaria tenuistipitata as the test organism . This alga was chosen because of its high laboratory growth rates, commonly 30-40% d -1 , which are reached in salinities between 5 and 40%0, and its epiphyte resistance . The toxicity of a number of substances, including heavy metals, herbicides and complex wastewaters towards the alga was assayed . Anti-fouling paints were tested with a modification of the method . EC50 values for heavy metals varied between 0 .05 and 17 mg 1 -1 and for herbicides between 0 .002 and 0 .02 mg 1 -1 . The sensitivity to the toxicant was generally higher at low salinity . Omitting nitrogen and phosphorus additions to the test medium increased the sensitivity and a semi-static performance was possible with maintained or increased sensitivity . Preliminary tests done with a computerised photosynthesis inhibition method produced promising results .
In conclusion, this is a simple, sensitive and reproducible test method for assessing the toxicity of substances, wastewaters and anti-fouling paints in brackish and marine environments .