title: Long-term effects of the antibacterial agent triclosan on marine periphyton communities.
abstract: Triclosan is a widely used antibacterial agent that has become a ubiquitous contaminant in freshwater, estuary, and marine environments. Concerns about potential adverse effects of triclosan have been described in several recent risk assessments. Its effects on freshwater microbial communities have been well studied, but studies addressing effects on marine microbial communities are scarce. In the present study, the authors describe short- and long-term effects of triclosan on marine periphyton (microbial biofilm) communities. Short-term effects on photosynthesis were estimated after 60 min to 210 min of exposure. Long-term effects on photosynthesis, chlorophyll a fluorescence, pigment content, community tolerance, and bacterial carbon utilization were studied after exposing periphyton for 17 d in flow-through microcosms to 0.316 nM to 10,000 nM triclosan. Results from the short-term studies show that triclosan is toxic to periphyton photosynthesis. Half maximal effective concentration (EC50) values of 1080 nM and 3000 nM were estimated using (14)CO2-incorporation and pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) fluorescence measurements, respectively. After long-term triclosan exposure in flow-through microcosms, photosynthesis estimated using PAM fluorometry was not inhibited by triclosan concentrations up to 1000 nM but instead increased with increasing triclosan concentration. Similarly, at exposure concentrations of 31.6 nM and higher, triclosan caused an increase in photosynthetic pigments. At 316 nM triclosan, the pigment amounts were increased by a factor of 1.4 to 1.9 compared with the control level. Pollution-induced community tolerance was observed for algae and cyanobacteria at 100 nM triclosan and higher. Despite the widespread use of triclosan as an antibacterial agent, the compound did not have any effects on bacterial carbon utilization after long-term exposure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Shipping and Marine Technology, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: K Martin
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: C Henrik
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Viktor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fihlman
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grehn
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sanli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mats X
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Blanck
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Åsa
authors.initials: Å
authors.lastname: Arrhenius
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Triranta
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sircar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Backhaus
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes / Q000737:chemistry; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005470:Fluorometry; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014260:Triclosan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002734:Chlorophyll; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D014260:Triclosan; D000077194:Chlorophyll A
keywords: Biofilm; Irgasan; Microbial toxicology; Mode of action; Personal care products; Pollution-induced community tolerance (PICT)