An in situ bioassay for freshwater environments with the microalga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata

Moreira‐Santos, Matilde; Soares, Amadeu M.V.M.; Ribeiro, Rui

doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2003.07.004

Cited by 69 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Whereas C. vulgaris is known to be widespread in all water habitats as one of the most frequently occurring species [28], P. subcapitata has been found exclusively in Central and Northern Europe and North America [29]. Moreover, both species have demonstrated good growth performance when immobilized in calcium-alginate beads and cultured under optimal conditions [11,30]; that is, they grew according to acceptability criteria adopted in guidelines for algal toxicity tests, at least a 16-fold increase in cell density and a coefficient of variation of mean growth rate below 20% [25][26][27].…”

Section: Assay Organismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Beads with immobilized cells of the local phytoplankton community, P. subcapitata, and C. vulgaris were prepared from alginate (isolated from Macrocystis pyrifera; Sigma A-7128) following the procedures described by Moreira-Santos et al [30]. A single batch of each bead type was prepared for all assays and stored at 68C in darkness in diluted MBL medium (20 times) for no more than 1 and 10 d, for the local phytoplankton and standard species beads, respectively.…”

Section: Algae Immobilizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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An in situ toxicity assay with the local phytoplankton community

Moreira‐Santos

Antunes

Gonçalves

et al. 2011

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

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The present study describes an approach for toxicity estimates based on the in situ exposure of the local phytoplankton community immobilized in calcium-alginate beads. The assay was deployed in an acid mine drainage-impacted system, at a reference site and an impacted site. Abundances and growth rates of major taxonomic groups (green algae, flagellates, diatoms, and cyanobacteria) and of the entire community were measured. The ecological relevance of classical toxicity estimates was evaluated by performing in situ and laboratory assays with the standard species Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and Chlorella vulgaris. Site waters were tested without and with nutrient enrichment, to discriminate toxic effects from those caused by nutrient limitations. Despite the occurrence of growth-limiting conditions for the local phytoplankton within the alginate matrix, an impact of the mine effluent on the community was detected. The growth of the community and of all taxonomic groups, except for the cyanobacteria, was less at the impacted site than at the reference site, although adding nutrients partially compensated for the effluent detrimental effects. Shifts in the community structure were also provoked by the mine effluent; decreases in the abundance of green algae were paralleled by increases in the abundance of flagellates and diatoms, but mainly of cyanobacteria. Effects on the growth of both standard species of green algae were in conformity with those on the local phytoplankton, probably because the latter was dominated by green algae. Although future improvements regarding the cell immobilization technique should be attempted, the proposed easy and inexpensive approach to assess both the growth and the structure of local phytoplankton communities will allow more environmentally realistic site-specific assessments of water quality.

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Section: Assay Organismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Algae Immobilizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

An in situ toxicity assay with the local phytoplankton community

Moreira‐Santos

Antunes

Gonçalves

et al. 2011

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

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“…Thus, we conclude that P. subcapitata has high productivity, tolerance to fluctuations in the pH of the medium, and growth in a low-cost alternative medium (NPK). Thus, according to the results of other studies (GUÉGUEN et al, 2003;MOREIRA-SANTOS et al, 2004), we can infer that P. subcapitata has great potential for biotechnological tests including bioremediation and toxicity studies at both the bench level and the industrial level.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…From the several existing species of unicellular algae, the Chlorophyceae Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata has been widely used for both feeding microcrustaceans and performing toxicity tests (DOMINGUES;BERTOLETTI, 2008). This microalga is able to tolerate extreme conditions of salinity and nutrient-poor medium, is easily found (from culture collections), and can be maintained in reproducible laboratory culture conditions (MOREIRA-SANTOS et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These microorganisms may also serve multiple functions in biotechnological studies, such as bioremediation of metals and other pollutants, toxicology testing (MOREIRA-SANTOS et al, 2004), solar energy bioconservation (energy storage), ingredients for feed, fermentation (methane production), extraction of various products such as pigments and algins ROCHA, 2003), biodiesel production, and food supplementation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cinética de crescimento da microalga Pseudokirchneriella subcaptata (Korshikov) Hindak (Chlorophyceae) em água natural enriquecida com o fertilizante NPK

Carvalho

Ottonelli

Ansilago

et al. 2013

BBR

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An estuarine mudsnail in situ toxicity assay based on postexposure feeding

Krell¹,

Moreira‐Santos²,

Ribeiro³

2011

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

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In situ assays provide more realistic exposure scenarios than laboratory assays, which is particularly pertinent for estuaries because exposure conditions are difficult to simulate. Traditionally, sublethal toxicity testing endpoints, such as growth, emergence, and reproduction, imply time-delayed extrapolations from individuals to populations, communities, and ecosystems. Sublethal responses mechanistically linked to ecosystem functions have been largely neglected. Feeding is an unequivocal ecologically meaningful response because its impairment has direct and immediate effects on ecosystems, by hampering key functions such as organic matter decomposition, long before its effects at the individual level have consequences at successively higher levels of biological organization. The ultimate goal of the present study was to widen the range of ecosystem functions for estuarine quality assessments. Specifically, a short-term in situ assay based on the postexposure feeding of the mudsnail Hydrobia ulvae is presented. Methodologies to quantify precisely postexposure egestion as a surrogate of feeding were achieved. A multiple regression model from laboratory experiments was successfully applied to an in situ assay at reference (Mira River) and contaminated Portuguese estuaries (Sado River) for predicting reference results and allowing unraveling confounding factors during exposure (temperature, salinity, sediment grain size). Sensitivity comparisons of postexposure feeding with survival and growth, after Cu exposure, were carried out and used for a first preliminary appraisal of the relative consequences of ecosystem-level immediate effects.

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An in situ bioassay for freshwater environments with the microalga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata

Cited by 69 publications

References 53 publications

An in situ toxicity assay with the local phytoplankton community

An in situ toxicity assay with the local phytoplankton community

Cinética de crescimento da microalga Pseudokirchneriella subcaptata (Korshikov) Hindak (Chlorophyceae) em água natural enriquecida com o fertilizante NPK

An estuarine mudsnail in situ toxicity assay based on postexposure feeding

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