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Accumulation of petroleum hydrocarbons in intracellular lipid bodies of the freshwater diatom Synedra acus subsp. radians

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Abstract

The accumulation of hydrophobic compounds by phytoplankton plays a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycle of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in aquatic environments. We studied the accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the freshwater diatom Synedra acus subsp. radians during its cultivation with crude oil hydrocarbons, using epifluorescent and laser confocal microscopy as well as gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis. Our results revealed that in the presence of crude oil or an extract of a crude oil/n-hexane solution (light oil), S. acus subsp. radians accumulated PAHs in its lipid bodies. During cultivation in the presence of a crude oil/n-hexane solution, the cells selectively accumulated C12–C18 alkanes, with a preference for C15 and C16 homologues. The length of n-alkane hydrocarbon chains accumulated in cells was similar to the acyl chains of fatty acids of the diatom. We therefore suggest that the insertion of n-alkanes into the membrane lipid bilayer promotes the transmembrane transport of PAH in diatoms. Our results confirm the hypothesis that diatoms play a role in the elimination of hydrophobic hydrocarbons from aquatic systems.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Yu. Zakharova and N. Volokitina (Limnological Institute SB RAS) for their kind gift of the diatom culture and Prof. E. V. Likhoshway (Limnological Institute SB RAS) for her assistance in the preparation of this manuscript. This research was funded by the Federal Agency for Scientific Organizations (FASO). We would like to thank Dr. Teofil Nakov (University of Arkansas) and anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments. We also thank the United Instrumental Center (Irkutsk Scientific Center) and the Center of Ultramicroanalysis (Limnological Institute, Irkutsk) for providing the equipment. The experiments on S. acus subsp. radians growth in the presence of petroleum hydrocarbons as well as microscopic analyses were carried out within the Project VI.50.1.3. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations of hydrocarbons in samples were fulfilled within the Project VIII.76.1.5.

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  1. Limnological Institute, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 3 Ulan-Batorskaya, 664033, Irkutsk, Russia

    Sergey M. Shishlyannikov, Alyona A. Nikonova, Igor V. Klimenkov & Alexander G. Gorshkov

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  1. Sergey M. Shishlyannikov
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  2. Alyona A. Nikonova
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  3. Igor V. Klimenkov
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  4. Alexander G. Gorshkov
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Correspondence to Sergey M. Shishlyannikov.

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Shishlyannikov, S.M., Nikonova, A.A., Klimenkov, I.V. et al. Accumulation of petroleum hydrocarbons in intracellular lipid bodies of the freshwater diatom Synedra acus subsp. radians . Environ Sci Pollut Res 24, 275–283 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-7782-y

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