Biosorption and Toxicity Response to Arsenite (As(III) in Scenedesmus quadricauda

Date

2013

Authors

Zhang, Carl

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

CHempsphere

Abstract

Toxicity and biosorption responses to arsenite (As[III]) were examined in a 96-h exposure study using Scenedesmus quadricauda, one of the most popular green algae distributed in freshwaters in China. Results indicated that the pH-dependent distribution of two arsenite species (H2AsO3(-) and H3AsO3) played an important role in biosorption and toxicity. The undissociated H3AsO3 was more toxic than its monoanionic H2AsO3(-) through comparison of algal cell numbers, chlorophyll-a contents, and algal ultrastructural changes observed with transmission electron microscopy. An effective biosorption of 89.0mgg(-1) at 100mgL(-1) As[III] was found in the treatments with an initial pH of 9.3 and 25.2μgg(-1) at 0.03mgL(-1) As[III] at an initial pH of 8.2 as a result of the predominant species of H2AsO3(-) under the ambient pH and Eh conditions. Our results imply that S. quadricauda may provide a new means for the removal of toxic arsenite species present in contaminated surface water.

Description

Keywords

Adsorption Anions/chemistry Arsenic/chemistry Arsenic/toxicity Arsenites/chemistry Arsenites/toxicity Chlorophyll/metabolism Chlorophyll A Fresh Water/chemistry Hydrogen-Ion Concentration Scenedesmus/drug effects Scenedesmus/metabolism Scenedesmus/ultrastructure Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Water Pollutants, Chemical/chemistry Water Pollutants, Chemical/toxicity

Citation

Zhang, J, Ding, T, Zhang C (2013), Biosorption and toxicity responses to arsenite (As[III]) in Scenedesmus quadricauda, Chemosphere, 92:1077-1084