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SPECTROPHOTOMETRICALLY ASSAYED INHIBITORY EFFECTS OF MERCURIC COMPOUNDS ON ANABAENA FLOS‐AQUAE AND ANACYSTIS NIDULANS (CYANOPHYCEAE) 1
Author(s) -
Thomas Dempsey L.,
Mantes Joseph G.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.1529-8817.1978.tb02475.x
Subject(s) - anabaena , biology , mercury (programming language) , bioassay , algae , chloride , cyanobacteria , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , flos , anabaena variabilis , biochemistry , nuclear chemistry , ic50 , chromatography , food science , microbiology and biotechnology , botany , in vitro , chemistry , bacteria , organic chemistry , genetics , neuroscience , computer science , programming language , antioxidant , rutin
The growth‐related inhibitory effects of mercuric chloride ( MC ), methylmercuric chloride (MMC) and phenylmercuric acetate (PMA) (each at 1, 10, 10, 2 10 3 ppb) were measured in Anabaena flos‐aquae (Lyng.) Bréb. and Anacystis nidulans (Richt.) Drouet & Daily. Optical density changes of control cultures compared against those of experimental cultures showed that MC was the least inhibitory of the compounds. MMC. was the most inhibitory, producing statistically significant inhibition at a concentration as low as I ppb in Anabaena. PMA was more inhibitory than MC but less than MMC. Effects caused by the mercury compounds included bleaching of individual cells, cell size changes and destruction of whole cells; the degree and extent of these effects depended on the compound and its concentration in the nutrient medium. The high sensitivities of the algae tested suggested the possibility of using them as test organisms in bioassays for mercury .