Aluminum bioavailability to the green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa in acidified synthetic soft water

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1994 · Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1897/1552-8618(1994)13[587:ABTTGA]2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:7051508

Parent, L; Campbell, P G.C. ^[1]

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1. Univ. du Quebec, Ste-Foy (Canada)

A unicellular green alga, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, was exposed to inorganic Al under controlled experimental conditions to determine whether the biological response elicited by the dissolved metal could be predicted from the free-metal ion concentration, [Al[sup 3+]]. The experimental approach involve concurrent measurement of both Al speciation and Al bioavailability (bioaccumulation/growth inhibition) in buffered synthetic solutions of defined composition. The bioassay exposure media, containing neither phosphate nor trace metals, covered the pH range 4.3 to 6. For system at a given pH, containing only inorganic monomeric Al, aluminum bioavailability varies predictably as a function of the free Al[sup 3+] concentration. However, the effect of Al[sup 3+] on algal growth is highly pH dependent; [Al[sup 3+]] needed to inhibit growth by 30% increases markedly from 3[mu]g L[sup [minus]1] to 50 [mu]gL[sup [minus]1] as the pH is decreased from 6 to 5. This decreased toxicity of Al at low pH is partly explained by an effective competition between the H[sup +] ion and Al[sup 3+] for binding sites at the algal surface; the effects of acidification at the biological surface are much more important than are its effects on Al speciation in solution. For systems containing both monomeric and polynuclear Al, polymeric aluminum also contributes to aluminum toxicity.

• OSTI ID: 7051508
• Journal Information: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry; (United States), Vol. 13:4; ISSN 0730-7268
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ALUMINIUM
BIOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY
TOXICITY
CHLORELLA
SENSITIVITY
SURFACE WATERS
ACIDIFICATION
ALGAE
CHLOROPHYCOTA
ELEMENTS
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
PLANTS
UNICELLULAR ALGAE
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
560300 - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology