Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) effects on marine phytoplankton photosynthesis and cell division

✍ Scribed by L. W. Harding; J. H. Phillips

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1978
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 680 KB
• Volume: 49
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0025-3162
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00387108

✦ Synopsis

Inhibition of p h o t o s y n t h e s i s and cell d i v i s i o n by p o l y c h l o r i n a t e d biphenyls (PCBs) was studied using 7 m a r i n e p h y t o p l a n k t o n species r e p r e s e n t i n g 4 algal classes. PCB c o n c e n t r a t i o n s as low as I .O 5g 1 -I reduced cell division of Thalassiosira pseudonana 3H and Isochrysis galbana. Both p h o t o s y n t h e s i s and cell division of T. pseudonana 3H, Chaetoceros socialis, Skeletonema costatum, T. pseudonana 13-I, Monochrysis lutheri and I. galbana were inhibited at a PCB c o n c e n t r a t i o n of 10.O ~g 1-I. The effects on p h o t o s y n n thesis were immediate and probably r e s u l t e d in reduced rates of cell division. Int e r s p e c i f i c d i f f e r e n c e s in s u s c e p t i b i l i t y were observed. These d i f f e r e n c e s have significance with respect to primary p r o d u c t i o n and the species c o m p o s i t i o n of phytop l a n k t o n communities. The initial slopes of p h o t o s y n t h e s i s -i r r a d i a n c e (P-I) curves for the diatoms s. costatum and T. pseudonana 3H were reduced in the p r e s e n c e of PCBs. These results suggest that PCBs affect the p h o t o s y n t h e t i c light reactions.