title: The effects of acrylamide polyelectrolytes on aquatic organisms: relating toxicity to chain architecture.
abstract: Understanding the inherent toxicity of water-soluble synthetic polyelectrolytes is critical for adequate risk management as well as enhancing product design when biological activity is a key performance index (e.g. for application in biofouling bivalves' control). The toxicity of two cationic acrylamide copolymers with different chain branching degree was evaluated. Standard ecotoxicity tests were conducted with microalgae and daphnids. The susceptibility of Corbicula fluminea, as a biofouling bivalve, was also evaluated. The effect of polyelectrolyte on the test media viscosity and the polymer chain size distributions under the experimental conditions were also examined. The susceptibility of the microalgae to both polymers was similar. As the complexity and size of the test organisms increased, differences in toxicity due to different chain architecture were noticeable. The more branched polymer was significantly less toxic to both daphnids and the bivalves, which could be linked to the distinctive features of its bimodal size chain distribution. This architecture resulted in both more compact globular molecules and the formation of aggregates, which reduce the polymer interaction with the biological surfaces. The results of this study promote the incorporation of environmental considerations in polyelectrolyte development and contribute to the design of improved solutions for controlling biofouling bivalves.
authors.affiliation: CIEPQPF - Research Centre for Chemical Process Engineering and Forest Products, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Pólo II, Rua Sílvio Lima, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal. Electronic address: raquel@cantab.net.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: CIEPQPF - Research Centre for Chemical Process Engineering and Forest Products, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Pólo II, Rua Sílvio Lima, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.affiliation: CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Aqua+Tech, Chemin du Chalet-du-Bac 4, CH-1283 La Plaine CP 28, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hunkeler
authors.affiliation: CIEPQPF - Research Centre for Chemical Process Engineering and Forest Products, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Coimbra, Pólo II, Rua Sílvio Lima, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Rasteiro
mesh_terms: D020106:Acrylamide / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000187:drug effects*; D057219:Biofouling / Q000517:prevention & control; D049874:Corbicula / Q000187:drug effects; D054750:Ecotoxicology; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012995:Solubility; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes; D011108:Polymers; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014867:Water; D020106:Acrylamide
keywords: Acrylamide copolymers; Aquatic biota; Biofouling bivalves control; Ecotoxicity; Polyelectrolytes; Polymer chain architecture