On the use of the serial dilution culture method to enumerate viable phytoplankton in natural communities of plankton subjected to ballast water treatment

Journal of Applied Phycology
John J Cullen, Hugh L MacIntyre

Abstract

Discharge standards for ballast water treatment (BWT) systems are based on concentrations of living cells, for example, as determined with vital stains. Ultraviolet radiation (UV) stops the reproduction of microorganisms without killing them outright; they are living, but not viable, and ecologically as good as dead. Consequently, UV-treated discharge can be compliant with the intent of regulation while failing a live/dead test. An alternative evaluation of BWT can be proposed based on the assessment of viable, rather than living, cells in discharge water. In principle, the serial dilution culture-most probable number (SDC-MPN) method provides the appropriate measure for phytoplankton. But, the method has been criticized, particularly because it is thought that many phytoplankton species cannot be cultured. A review of the literature shows that although SDC-MPN has been used for more than 50 years-generally to identify and count phytoplankton species that cannot be preserved-its application to enumerate total viable phytoplankton seems to be new, putting past criticisms of the method in a different light. Importantly, viable cells need to grow only enough to be detected, not to be brought into sustained culture, and competition...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jun 24, 2017·The Science of the Total Environment·Leonardo Romero-MartínezLouis Peperzak
Apr 17, 2018·Biomicrofluidics·Junsheng WangDongqing Li
Mar 4, 2021·Critical Reviews in Biotechnology·Bermejo ElisabethTaidi Behnam
Jun 11, 2019·Marine Pollution Bulletin·Kim LundgreenMartin Andersen
Jan 27, 2019·The Science of the Total Environment·Ole-Kristian Hess-ErgaOlav Vadstein
Jun 22, 2018·Environmental Science & Technology·Ernest R Blatchley IiiNicholas Welschmeyer

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
flow
light microscopy

Software Mentioned

MPN
SDC
Kaleidagraph
Synergy

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