Studies on the bioconcentration of chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides by algae from aqueous systems

ABSTRACT

Accumulation of three chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides DDT, Dieldrin and Lindane [gamma BHC] by the green algae Chlorella fusca and Scenedesmus acuminatus and the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum was studied. The microorganisms were exposed to 0.1 ppm [0.1 ug m1[-1]][14]C, DDT, dieldrin or BHC for a period of four hours at controlled temperature. The concentration of DDT and dieldrin within these algae was much higher than in the surrounding medium which indicates that these organisms can sorb and concentrate DDT and dieldrein. The highest accumulation of insecticides was observed for DDT and the lowest for gamma BHC. Bioconcentration of insecticides was higher in Phaeodactylum tricornutum than in Chlorells fusca or Scenedesmus acuminatus. There was a definite relationship between the uptake of DDT, dieldrin and BHC by the various algae and the hexane/water partition coefficient of these insecticides