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Sensitivity and Antioxidant Response of Chlorella sp. MM3 to Used Engine Oil and Its Water Accommodated Fraction

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Abstract

We exposed the microalgal strain, Chlorella sp. MM3, to unused or used engine oil, or their water accommodated fractions (WAFs) to determine growth inhibition and response of antioxidant enzymes. Oil type and oil concentration greatly affected the microalgal growth. Used oil at 0.04 % (0.4 g L−1) resulted in 50 % inhibition in algal growth, measured in terms of chlorophyll-a, while the corresponding concentration of unused oil was nontoxic. Similarly, used oil WAF showed significant toxicity to the algal growth at 10 % level, whereas WAF from unused oil was nontoxic even at 100 % concentration. Peroxidase enzyme in the microalga significantly increased with used oil at concentrations above 0.04 g L−1 whereas the induction of superoxide dismutase and catalase was apparent only at 0.06 g L−1. Activities of the antioxidant enzymes increased significantly when the microalga was exposed to 75 and 100 % WAF obtained from used oil. The used oil toxicity on microalga could be due to the presence of toxic soluble mono- and polyaromatic compounds, heavy metals, and other compounds attained by the oil during its use in the motor engines.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Australian Government-University of South Australia through an IPRS scholarship and CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment for a top-up scholarship to KR.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation and Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia

    Kavitha Ramadass, Mallavarapu Megharaj, Kadiyala Venkateswarlu & Ravi Naidu

  2. Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, Faculty of Science and Information Technology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia

    Mallavarapu Megharaj & Ravi Naidu

  3. Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur, 515055, India

    Kadiyala Venkateswarlu

Authors
  1. Kavitha Ramadass
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  2. Mallavarapu Megharaj
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  3. Kadiyala Venkateswarlu
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  4. Ravi Naidu
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Correspondence to Mallavarapu Megharaj.

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Ramadass, K., Megharaj, M., Venkateswarlu, K. et al. Sensitivity and Antioxidant Response of Chlorella sp. MM3 to Used Engine Oil and Its Water Accommodated Fraction. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 97, 71–77 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-016-1817-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-016-1817-4

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