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A Rapid Bioassay Using the Green Alga Selenastrum capricornutum to Screen for Toxicity in St. Lawrence River Sediment Elutriates
Ross, P
Associate aquatic toxicologist, Illinois Natural History Survey, Il

Jarry, V
Agent de recherche, Université de Montréal, Québec

Sloterdijk, H
Survey scientist, Inland Waters Directorate, Environment Canada, Québec


Pages: 6    Published: Jan 1988


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Source: STP988-EB


Abstract

A toxicity bioassay using the green alga Selenastrum capricornutum and measuring inhibition of photosynthetic carbon-14 (14C)-labeled carbon dioxide (14CO2) assimilation is described. The essential test specifications are the following:

(a) experimental vessels: 16-mL test tubes;

(b) exposure and incubation times: 20 h exposure plus 4 h incubation;

(c) dilution water: demineralized H2O;

(d) algal cell density: 1.9 × 105 cells mL−1;

(e) radioactivity: 0.072 µCi mL−1, as 14C-labeled sodium bicarbonate [Na2(H14CO3)2];

(f) nutrient enrichment: 1 mL of × 10 provisional algal assay procedure (PAAP) medium; and

(g) isotope partitioning: acidification and bubbling.

The resulting method is rapid, sensitive, and reliable (coefficient of variation < 10%) and is applied to elutriates of St. Lawrence River sediments in an ongoing research project.


Keywords:
hazard evaluation, toxicity, bioassays, algae, Selenastrum capricornutum, sediments, elutriates, carbon-14-labeled carbon dioxide (, 14, CO, 2, ), 14, CO, 2, uptake, St. Lawrence River, copper chloride

Paper ID: STP26256S
Committee/Subcommittee: D19.24
DOI: 10.1520/STP26256S
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