title: Effects of imidazolium ionic liquids on growth, photosynthetic efficiency, and cellular components of the diatoms Skeletonema marinoi and Phaeodactylum tricornutum.
abstract: This article describes the toxic effects of imidazolium ionic liquids bearing alkyl (BMIM), monoethoxy (MOEMIM), and diethoxy (M(OE)(2)MIM) side chains toward two marine diatoms, Skeletonema marinoi and Phaeodactylum tricornutum. MOEMIM and M(OE)(2)MIM cations showed a lower inhibition of growth and photosynthetic efficiency with respect to their alkyl counterpart, with both algal species. However, a large difference in sensitivity was found between S. marinoi and P. tricornutum, the first being much more sensitive to the action of ionic liquids than the second one. The effects of salinity on BMIM Cl toxicity toward S. marinoi revealed that a decrease from salinity 35 to salinity 15 does not influence the biological effects toward the alga. Finally, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) microscopy of algal cells after ionic liquids exposure allowed us to detect an alteration of the organic cellular components related to silica uptake and organization. On the basis of these results, the different behavior of the two diatom species can be tentatively ascribed to different silica uptake and organization in outer cell walls.
authors.affiliation: Interdepartmental Research Centre for Environmental Sciences (CIRSA), University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy. chiara.samori3@unibo.it
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Samorì
authors.forename: Giorgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sciutto
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pezzolesi
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Galletti
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guerrini
authors.forename: Rocco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mazzeo
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pistocchi
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prati
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tagliavini
mesh_terms: D017377:Diatoms / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D052578:Ionic Liquids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D054712:Salinity; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: C525963:1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium; D007093:Imidazoles; D052578:Ionic Liquids; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D012822:Silicon Dioxide