The use of turbidostat culture in investigation of algal heavy-metal toxicity and rotifer population dynamics

Thesis/Dissertation · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:6520448

Bennett, W N

Using the green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa Chick, the heavy metals selenium as selenate, cadmium, cadmium + manganese and cadmium + zinc were investigated to assess their toxicity in terms of changes in {mu}{sub max}. It was shown that increases of sublethal concentrations of Se produced a near linear decrease in {mu}{sub max}. A {mu}{sub max}IC{sub 50} was calculated to be 10.1 {mu}M Se. A concentration of 1.8 {mu}M Cd produced a 62% decrease in {mu}{sub max} after 2 generating lag. A recovery of {mu}{sub max} was observed when MnCl{sub 2} or ZnCl{sub 2} was added to the medium in which populations were experiencing sublethal Cd toxicity. The amelioration responses were incomplete with regard to full recovery of {mu}{sub max} and last 20 generations for the Cd-Mn exposure and 7 generations for the Cd-Zn exposure. Measurement of {mu}{sub max} is turbidostat culture was shown to provide a very sensitive measure of toxicity. For the first time, a metazoan, the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus Pallas, was grown in turbidostat culture and maintained near its {mu}{sub max} for many generations. It was discovered that {mu}{sub max} was subject to selection in this species and increased 51% from 0.053 h{sup {minus}1} to 0.080 h{sup {minus}1} over 8 mo at 25{degree}C.

• Research Organization: Wisconsin Univ., Milwaukee, WI (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6520448
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ALGAE
ANIMALS
CADMIUM
CHLORELLA
CHLOROPHYCOTA
ELEMENTS
INVERTEBRATES
MANGANESE
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
PLANTS
POPULATION DYNAMICS
ROTIFERA
SELENIUM
SEMIMETALS
SENSITIVITY
SYNERGISM
TOXICITY
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
UNICELLULAR ALGAE
ZINC