1 results match your criteria: "Institute for Nuclear Geophysiology[Affiliation]"
The effect of pH on the uptake and toxicity of copper and zinc in a tropical freshwater alga (Chlorella sp.).
Arch Environ Contam Toxicol
August 2006
Institute for Nuclear Geophysiology, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Private Mail Bag 1, Menai, New South Wales, 2234, Australia,
Article Synopsis
- The study investigated how copper and zinc affect the growth of the freshwater alga Chlorella sp. at different pH levels, revealing that toxicity is pH-dependent.
- As pH decreases from 8.0 to 5.5, the concentration of copper needed to inhibit algal growth (IC50) increased significantly, while zinc showed an even larger increase in IC50 over the same range.
- The research supports the biotic ligand model (BLM), suggesting that competition between hydrogen ions and metals for binding sites on the algal surface plays a key role in this toxicity, particularly since higher metal concentrations were seen at higher pH levels.