A rapid phenol toxicity test based on photosynthesis and movement of the freshwater flagellate, Euglena agilis Carter.

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Abstract

Phenol, a monosubstituted aromatic hydrocarbon with various commercial uses, is a major organic constituent in industrial wastewaters. The ecotoxic action of phenol for aquatic environment is well known. In this study, rapid phenol toxicity tests (1h) were developed based on chlorophyll a (Chl a) fluorescence and the movement parameters of the freshwater flagellate, Euglena agilis Carter. Phenol significantly reduced the maximum quantum yield (Fv/Fm) of photosystem II (PS II) and the maximum photosynthetic electron transport rate (rETRmax) with median effective concentration (EC50) values of 8.94 and 4.67 mM, respectively. Phenol reduced the motility and triggered change in the swimming velocity of the test organism. Among the parameters tested, velocity was the most sensitive biomarker with an EC50 of 3.17 mM. The EC50 values for Fv/Fm, motility, and velocity appear to overlap the permitted levels of phenol. In conclusion, the photosynthesis and movement of E. agilis can be fast and sensitive risk assessment parameters for the evaluation of phenol toxicity in municipal and industrial effluents.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Aquat Toxicol

Title: Aquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Publisher: Elsevier BV

ISSN (Electronic): 1879-1514

ISSN (Print): 0166-445X

Publication date (Electronic): Oct 2014

Volume: 155

Affiliations

[1 ] Institute of Green Environmental Research Center, Incheon National University, Incheon 406 840, Republic of Korea.

[2 ] Institute of Green Environmental Research Center, Incheon National University, Incheon 406 840, Republic of Korea; Department of Marine Science, Incheon National University, Incheon 406 840, Republic of Korea; Green-Pioneer (Ltd.), Incheon National University, Incheon 406 840, Republic of Korea.

[3 ] Department of Biology, Chungnam University, Daejeon 306 764, Republic of Korea.

[4 ] Institute of Green Environmental Research Center, Incheon National University, Incheon 406 840, Republic of Korea; Department of Marine Science, Incheon National University, Incheon 406 840, Republic of Korea; Green-Pioneer (Ltd.), Incheon National University, Incheon 406 840, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: hanalgae@hanmail.net.

Article

Publisher Item ID: S0166-445X(14)00173-8

DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2014.05.014

PubMed ID: 24953851

SO-VID: d3819b85-0481-49c7-a2ad-90cf927482ff

History

Keywords: Euglena agilis,F(v)/F(m),Motility,Phenol,Velocity,rETR(max)

Data availability:

Keywords: Euglena agilis, F(v)/F(m), Motility, Phenol, Velocity, rETR(max)

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