A simple and sensitive bioassay for the detection of toxic materials using a unicellular green alga.
A simple assay for phytotoxicity, using small scale cultures of Chlorella vulgaris, is described. Growth after 3 days' incubation in 0.5 cm(3) medium is assessed by DMSO-acetone extraction and chlorophyll determination. The method is sensitive enough to detect phytotoxicity in small samples of material and this is illustrated by the inhibitory effects of microgram additions of copper, cadmium and zinc.
Wren
M J
MJ
Department of Pure and Applied Biology, Leeds University, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
McCarroll
D
D