Growth Differences in Cultured Populations of Brachionus plicatilis Müller Caused by Heavy Metal Stress as Function of Microalgal Diet

• Published in: Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology Vol. 63; no. 3; pp. 392 - 398
• Main Authors: Moreno-Garrido, I., Lubián, L. M., Soares, A. M. V. M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Springer-Verlag 01.09.1999; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Brachionus plicatilis; Cadmium - toxicity; Copper - toxicity; Diet; Dunaliella salina; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Effects of pollution and side effects of pesticides on protozoa and invertebrates; Eukaryota - chemistry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heavy metals; Isochrysis; Metals, Heavy - toxicity; Nannochloropsis gaditana; Population; Rotifera; Rotifera - growth & development; Seawater; Spain; Brachionus plicatilis; Toxicity; Algae; Chlorophyceae; Feeding; Heavy metal; Freshwater environment; Heterokontophyta; Chrysophyceae; Dunaliella salina; Chlorophyta; Eustigmatophyceae; Water pollution; Invertebrata; Rotifera; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0007-4861; 1432-0800
• DOI: 10.1007/s001289900993

Laboratory-scale culture studies were conducted to investigate the effect of sub-lethal exposure to cadmium and copper on the growth curves of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis fed with combinations of 3 microalgae species, Dunaliella salina , Nannochloropsis gaditana and Isochrysis aff. galbana . The toxicity of these metals was previously known to affect all species in this study. Data were subject to analysis of variance to determine differences between treatments. Doses applied were blank, cadmium at 1 mg per litre and copper at 0.1 mg per litre. The initial cellular density of 0.7 x 106 cells per ml I. aff. galbana was the optimal cellular density as feed. The least suitable food source for rotifers was D. salina which did not allow rotifers to grow. Exposure to cadmium significantly reduced the final microalgal concentration of non-mixed cultures of D. salina . Both cadmium and copper significantly reduced final cell numbers of N. gaditana . Rotifer grazing of microalgae in toxicant-free wells reduced cell numbers by 30 per cent. Reduction in microalgal population was expected to cause a decline in the rotifer growth curve. For cultures which contained I. aff. galbana food was not the limiting growth factor. In control (blank) experiments the cellular density of unmixed I. aff. galbana was 4 times higher than that of unmixed N. gaditana .