Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Influence of Phosphate on the Response of Periphyton to Atrazine Exposure

  • Published:
Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

After indications from the literature that nutrient concentrations may modify the toxicity of herbicides to natural periphyton communities, this study aims to provide experimental proof for atrazine. In this microcosm experiment, phosphate (P) addition did not ameliorate atrazine toxicity to periphyton. Three weeks of P addition did not increase atrazine tolerance (measured as EC50 in acute toxicity tests), whereas exposure to atrazine under conditions that were either P-limited or non-P-limited clearly reduced the development of algal biomass. Long-term exposure to atrazine induced tolerance of the community to the herbicide, and this was not influenced by P addition. Tolerance induction in this microcosm experiment has been compared with previously published field data from the same area of study and indicates that tolerance induction by atrazine may take place under atrazine exposure in streams as well as in microcosms.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barreiro R, Pratt JR (1994) Interaction of toxicants and communities: the role of nutrients. Environ Toxicol Chem 13:361–368

    Google Scholar 

  • Battah MG, Shabana EF, Kobbia IA, Heladle HM (2001) Differential effects of thiobencarb toxicity on growth and photosynthesis of Anabaena variabilis with changes in phosphate level. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 49:235–239

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Berard A, LeboulangerC, Pelte T (1999) Tolerance of Oscillatoria limnetica Lemmermann to atrazine in natural phytoplankton populations and in pure culture: influence of season and temperature. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 37:472–479

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown LS, Lean DRS (1995) Toxicity of selected pesticides to lake phytoplankton measured using photosynthesis inhibition compared to maximal uptake rates of phosphate and ammonium. Environ Toxicol Chem 14:93–98

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • DeLorenzo ME, Lauth J, Pennington PL, Scott GI, Ross PE (1999) Atrazine effects on the microbial food web in tidal creek mesocosms. Aquat Toxicol 46:241–251

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Detenbeck NE, Hermanutz R, Alien K, Swift MC (1996) Fate and effects of the herbicide atrazine in flow-through wetland mesocosms. Environ Toxicol Chem 158:937–946

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ekholm P, Kallio K, Salo S, Pietilanen OP, Rekolainen S, Laine Y, Joukola M (2000) Relationship between catchment characteristics and nutrient concentrations in an agricultural river system. Water Res 15:3709–3716

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graymore M, Stagnitti F, Allison G (2001) Impacts of atrazine in aquatic ecosystems. Environment Int 26:483–495

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guasch H, Muñoz I, Rosés N, Sabater S (1997) Changes in atrazine toxicity through succession of stream periphyton communities. J Appl Phycol 9:137–146

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guasch H, Ivorra N, Lehmann V, Paulsson M, Real M, Sabater S (1998) Community composition and sensitivity of periphyton to atrazine in flowing waters: the role of environmental factors. J Appl Phycol 10:203–213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guasch H, Admiraal W, Sabater S (2003) Contrasting effects of organic and inorganic toxicants on freshwater periphyton. Aquat Toxicol 64:165–175

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guasch H, Navarro E, Serra A, Sabater S (2004) Phosphate limitation influences the sensitivity to copper in periphytic algae. Freshwat Biol 49:463–473

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huber W (1993) Ecotoxicological relevance of atrazine in aquatic systems. Environ Toxicol Chem 12:1865–1881

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ivorra N, HettelaarJ, Tubbing GMJ, Kraak MHS, Sabater S, Admiraal W (1999) Translocation of microbenthic algal assemblages used for in situ analysis of metal pollution in rivers. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 37:19–28

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ivorra N, Hettelaar J, Kraak MHS, Sabater S, Admiraal W (2002) Responses of biofilms to combined nutrient and metal exposure. Environ Toxicol Chem 21:626–632

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jeffrey SW, Humphrey GF (1975) New spectophotometric equations for determining cholophylls a, b, c1 and c2 in higher plants, algae and natural phytoplankton. Bioch Physiol Pflanz 167:191–194

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mohapatra PK, Mohanty RC (1992) Differential effect of dimethoate toxicity to Anabaena doliolum with change in nutrient status. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 48:223–229

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy J, Riley JP (1962) A modified single solution for the determination of phosphate in natural waters. Anal Chim Acta 27:31–36

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nyström B, Paulsson M, Almgren K, Blank H (2000) Evaluation of the capacity for developement of astrazine tolerance in peripyton from a Swedish freshwater site as determined by inhibition of photosynthesis and sulfolipid synthesis. Env Toxicol Chem 19:1324–1331

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paulsson M (2000) Variability in lotic periphyton communities tolerance to zinc and atrazine, in relation to bioavailability. PhD, Göteborg University, 213 pp

  • Paulsson M, Mansson V, Blanck H (2002) Effects of zinc on the phosphorus availability to periphyton from the Göta Älv. Aquat Toxicol 56:103–113

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pereira WE, Hostettler FD (1993) Nonpoint source contamination of the Mississippi River and its tributaries by herbicides. Environ Sci Technol 27:542–1552

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pratt JR, Barreiro R (1998) Influence of trophic status on the effect of a herbicide: a microcosm study. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 35:404–411

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ronday R, Aalderink GH, Crum SJH (1998) Application methods of pesticides to aquatic mesocosms in order to simulate effects of spray drift. Water Res 32:147–153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Seguin F, Le Bihan F, Leboulanger C, Bérard A (2002) A risk assessment of pollution: induction of atrazine tolerance in phytoplankton communities in freshwater outdoor mesocosms, using chlorophyll fluorescence as an endpoint. Water Res 36:3227–3236

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shabana EF, Battah MG, Kobbia IA, Eladen HM (2001) Effect of pendimethalin on growth and photosynthetic activity of Protosiphon botryoides in different nutrient states. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 49:106–110

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Solomon K, Baker D, Richards R, Dixon K, KIaine S, La Point T (1994) Ecological risk assessment of atrazine in North American surface waters. Environ Toxicol Chem 15:31–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winer BJ (1971) Statistical principles in experimental design. MaGraw Hill, New York, 907 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiner JA, DeLorenzo ME, Fulton MH (2004) Relationship between uptake capacity and differential toxicity of the herbicide atrazine in selected microalgal species. Aquatic Toxicol 68:121–128

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was performed within the framework of the EC (1996/99) project “Microbenthic Communities in European Rivers Used to Assess Effects of Land-Derived Toxicants” ENV4-CT96-0298 and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology project “Dynamics of toxic substances in river ecosystems: effects on river biofilms and consequences for water quality” REN2003-0772.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University Girona (UdG), Campus de Montilivi, 17071, Girona, Spain

    H. Guasch & S. Sabater

  2. Department of Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology (AEE), Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), Faculty of Science (FNWI), University of Amsterdam (UvA), P.O. Box 94084, 1090, GB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    V. Lehmann, B. van Beusekom & W. Admiraal

Authors
  1. H. Guasch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V. Lehmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. van Beusekom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. S. Sabater
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. W. Admiraal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. Guasch.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Guasch, H., Lehmann, V., van Beusekom, B. et al. Influence of Phosphate on the Response of Periphyton to Atrazine Exposure. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 52, 32–37 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-005-0186-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-005-0186-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation