Bioassays with unicellular algae: deviations from exponential growth and its implications for toxicity test results

Journal of Environmental Quality
R AltenburgerJanet Riedl

Abstract

Growth assays with unicellular green algae are an established tool in ecotoxicological effect assessment for chemicals and environmental samples. From an ecological perspective it seems appropriate to use the growth rate as a process variable rather than a measure of biomass gain for calculating inhibitory effects of contaminants. The notion of simple exponential growth for the description of the population increase in undisturbed suspension cultures of unicellular green algae, however, seems to be an oversimplification. Experimental findings describe the increase in biomass, cell number, the development of cell volume distributions of populations, and the relationship between cell size and chlorophyll content for individual cells over one generation at a time resolution of 2-h intervals. It was observed that algal populations of Desmodesmus subspicatus show a time pattern of cell size growth; the average cell volume increases about sixfold, without corresponding increase in population size. This is followed by a distinct cell division phase with little gain in biomass. This synchronous growth behavior despite continuous illumination may be explained by the multiple fission characteristic of unicellular green algae which is an ...Continue Reading

References

Aug 20, 2003·Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry·Rolf AltenburgerGerrit Schüürmann
Jul 23, 2004·Environmental Toxicology·Irina Blinova
Dec 16, 2004·Environmental Science & Technology·Rolf AltenburgerMatthias Grote
Feb 16, 2005·Plant Physiology·Maria MittagCarl Hirschie Johnson
Feb 22, 2005·Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry·Rolf AltenburgerGerrit Schüürmann
Jul 13, 2006·Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry·Roman AshauerColin Brown
Oct 21, 2006·Environmental Science & Technology·Rolf AltenburgerEberhard Küster
Aug 24, 2007·Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry·Nicole E AdlerRolf Altenburger

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Citations

Jan 25, 2016·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Xiaoxiong WangXiaojun Wang
Jan 16, 2010·Chemosphere·Rolf AltenburgerAdolf Eisenträger
Nov 11, 2009·Chemosphere·Birgit DausRolf Altenburger
Feb 1, 2012·Journal of Phycology·Sabine Hilt Nee KörnerNadine Bauer
May 6, 2016·Environmental Science & Technology·Carolina Vogs, Rolf Altenburger
Aug 15, 2009·Aquatic Toxicology·Carmen RiobooAngeles Cid
Dec 14, 2017·Water Science and Technology : a Journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research·T Olmez-HanciG Korkmaz
Nov 10, 2015·Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part. B, Pesticides, Food Contaminants, and Agricultural Wastes·Hela ToumiJean-François Ferard
May 12, 2012·Journal of Environmental Science and Health. Part. B, Pesticides, Food Contaminants, and Agricultural Wastes·Joanna BisewskaZbigniew H Tukaj

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