Accumulation of petroleum hydrocarbons in intracellular lipid bodies of the freshwater diatom Synedra acus subsp. radians.

The accumulation of hydrophobic compounds by phytoplankton plays a crucial role in the biogeochemical cycle of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in aquatic environments. We studied the accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the freshwater diatom Synedra acus subsp. radians during its cultivation with crude oil hydrocarbons, using epifluorescent and laser confocal microscopy as well as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis.