Abstract
One approach in toxicity testing using microalgae is to assess the modulation of light energy absorbed as a result of exposure to contaminants. In this study, four strains of microalgae were isolated to obtain a variety of taxa for testing from sites receiving various levels of environmental stressors around Christchurch, New Zealand. The strains were characterized by partially sequencing rbcL, a routinely used gene in plant phylogenetics with a large existing database of strains. Based on morphological observation and gene sequences, the strains were identified as Chlorella sp., Neochloris sp., and Choricystis minor. The isolates were exposed to the herbicide glyphosate and the metal zinc, and their responses were measured using the ToxY-PAM system. Chlorella sp. was the most sensitive. Two strains of Choricystis minor were isolated from different ponds in an effluent gradient at a sewage treatment plant. Analysis of variance indicated that the isolate from the least contaminated pond was more sensitive to zinc (although regression analysis did not show this result). This suggests that the selective pressure exerted on algal strains by a contamination gradient over short a distance is detectable by both genetic and physiological methods, with implications for sourcing appropriate indicator organisms from the environment.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank M. Bourke and F. Resl (Christchurch City Council) for permission to access the treatment ponds and for providing data on metal levels, K. Trought (Landcare Research) for technical assistance, and G. Forrester, C. Bezar, O. Champeau, and G. Kume (Landcare Research) for useful comments and advice. Funding was provided by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (New Zealand) through the Defining New Zealand’s Land Biota OBI and the Christchurch City Council. Two anonymous reviewers provided valuable comments on the manuscript.
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Novis, P.M., Halle, C., Wilson, B. et al. Identification and Characterization of Freshwater Algae from a Pollution Gradient Using rbcL Sequencing and Toxicity Testing. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 57, 504–514 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-009-9312-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-009-9312-0