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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 7(3)

Cu and Pb accumulation by the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii in the presence of humic acids

Paula Sánchez-Marín A B D , Vera I. Slaveykova C and Ricardo Beiras A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Facultade de Ciencias do Mar, Universidade de Vigo, Estrada Colexio Universitario s/n, E-36310 Vigo, Galicia, Spain.

B Estación de Ciencias Mariñas de Toralla (ECIMAT), Universidade de Vigo, Illa de Toralla, E-36331 Vigo, Galicia, Spain.

C Environmental Biophysical Chemistry, GR-SLV-IIE-ENAC, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Station 2, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.

D Corresponding author. Email: paulasanchez@uvigo.es

Environmental Chemistry 7(3) 309-317 https://doi.org/10.1071/EN10015
Submitted: 19 February 2010  Accepted: 15 April 2010   Published: 22 June 2010

Environmental context. Dissolved organic matter protects aquatic microorganisms from toxic metals by complexing and decreasing the concentration of the biologically reactive species such as free metal ions. However, there are some cases of enhancement of toxic effects when humic acids are present, which is thought to be due to effects of adsorbed humic acids on cell membranes. For a marine diatom, humic acids adsorbed to cell surfaces enhanced metal adsorption, whereas intracellular metal contents decreased as a result of metal binding by humic acids. These findings suggest that the diatom wall, the frustule, presents a barrier against direct effects of adsorbed humic acids on the plasma membrane.

Abstract. Metal complexation by dissolved organic matter, as humic acids, is considered to decrease metal bioavailability by lowering the free metal ion concentration. However, dissolved organic matter adsorption on cell surfaces can modify cell membrane properties, which can also influence metal uptake. Copper and lead accumulation and internalisation by the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii were studied in the absence and presence of humic acids, and adsorption of humic acids to cell surfaces was evaluated. Both Pb and Cu intracellular concentrations decreased in the presence of humic acids according to labile metal concentrations measured by anodic stripping voltammetry, whereas total (intracellular plus adsorbed) metal content was enhanced in the presence of humic acids, probably owing to enhanced metal plus humics adsorption to cell surfaces. The results of the present work stress the importance of differentiating between intracellular and total cellular metal in bioavailability studies, and suggest that the silica frustule of diatoms represents a barrier against humic acids effects on cell membranes.

Additional keywords: anodic stripping voltammetry, DOM, metal bioavailability.


Acknowledgements

This work was partially funded by research projects CTM2006–13880-C03–01/MAR and CTM2009–10908 (Spanish Government). ICP-MS measurements were performed in the Centro de Apoio Científico Tecnolóxico á Investigación (CACTI) of the University of Vigo. We thank Damián Costas for the culture of the algae in the marine facilities of ECIMAT (University of Vigo). P. Sánchez-Marín was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, Spanish Government. V. Slaveykova acknowledges the financial support of the Swiss National Science Foundation PP022 118989.


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