Growth and photosynthesis inhibition by agricultural pesticides in three freshwater microalgae

Abstract

Growth rate and photosynthesis of Microcystis aeruginosa, Scenedesmus quadricauda and Aulacoseira granulata exposed to different concentrations of the agricultural pesticides CNP (p‐nitrophenyl 2,4,6‐trichlorophenyl ether), MEP [O,O‐dimethyl O‐(3‐methyl‐4‐nitrophenyl) thiophosphate], ISP [isoprothiolane (C12H18O4S2)], and TBT (tri‐n‐butyltin chloride) were determined. The effective concentration (EC50) for growth and photosynthesis in each species of microalga was then calculated. Inhibition of growth and photosynthesis in the three microalgae was greatest when exposed to CNP and TBT. Microcystis aeruginosa and A. granulata showed a higher tolerance, whereas S. quadricauda showed a higher sensitivity. Except for MEP, the EC50 values for growth obtained in the three microalgae were higher than those for photosynthesis. The growth–photosynthesis response relationship showed that, for CNP and TBT, growth of the three organisms tested were less inhibited than their photosynthesis at a lower exposure (0.001–0.05 μg/L). At a higher exposure (0.10–1.0 μg/L), the response between relative growth rates and relative photosynthesis was proportional. For MEP and ISP, a proportional response existed between relative growth rates and relative photosynthesis in all test organisms. These results suggest that the inhibition of growth and photosynthesis by agricultural pesticides differs for the three microalgae. The differences can be explained in terms of the physico‐chemical properties of the four pesticides and the physiological and morphological properties of the three microalgae.

Abiotic stressors and stress responses: What commonalities appear between species across biological organization levels?

“…In photosynthetic organisms, the molecular effects of chemical and thermal stressors result, at the individual level, in global growth inhibition (or dormancy) and photosynthesis impairment through decreased photosystem efficiency and chlorosis (Guanzon and Nakahara, 2002;Gustavson et al, 2003;González-Barreiro et al, 2004;Hummel et al, 2004;Ramel et al, 2007;Kaplan-Levy et al, 2010). Thus, in a wide variety of plants, traits relative to root and shoot growth (Hummel et al, 2004;Ramel et al, 2007Ramel et al, , 2009bCarpenter et al, 2012;Peñuelas et al, 2013;Serra et al, 2013Serra et al, , 2015, biomass (Cedergreen et al, 2004;Carpenter et al, 2012), and pigment contents (Serra et al, 2013(Serra et al, , 2015 are negatively affected by such stressors.…”