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Quantification of toxic effects of the herbicide metolachlor on marine microalgae Ditylum brightwellii (Bacillariophyceae), Prorocentrum minimum (Dinophyceae), and Tetraselmis suecica (Chlorophyceae)

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Abstract

Toxic effects of the herbicide metolachlor (MC) were evaluated for three marine microalgae, Tetraselmis suecica (chlorophyte), Ditylum brightwellii (diatom), and Prorocentrum minimum (dinoflagellate). MC showed a significant reduction in cell counts and chlorophyll a levels. Median effective concentration (EC50) was calculated based on chlorophyll a levels after a 72-h MC exposure. EC50 values for T. suecica, D. brightwellii, and P. minimum were 21.3, 0.423, and 0.07 mg/L, respectively. These values showed that the dinoflagellate was most sensitive when exposed to the herbicide, at a concentration comparable to freshwater algae, suggesting its potential as an appropriate model organism for ecotoxicity assessments in marine environments.

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  1. Department of Green Life Science, Sangmyung University, Seoul, 110-743, Republic of Korea

    Vinitha Ebenezer & Jang-Seu Ki

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  1. Vinitha Ebenezer
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  2. Jang-Seu Ki
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Correspondence to Jang-Seu Ki.

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Ebenezer, V., Ki, JS. Quantification of toxic effects of the herbicide metolachlor on marine microalgae Ditylum brightwellii (Bacillariophyceae), Prorocentrum minimum (Dinophyceae), and Tetraselmis suecica (Chlorophyceae). J Microbiol. 51, 136–139 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-013-2114-0

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