Tetrahymena pyriformis Phagocytic Activity Test for Rapid Toxicity Assessment of Aquatic Micropollutants

Authors

  • Ildikó Fekete-Kertész
    Affiliation
    Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary
  • Orsolya Ullmann
    Affiliation
    Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary
  • Panni Csizmár
    Affiliation
    Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary
  • Mónika Molnár
    Affiliation
    Department of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary
https://doi.org/10.3311/PPch.10667

Abstract

The increasing worldwide contamination of freshwater ecosystems with micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, hormones, industrial chemicals and pesticides is a key environmental problem facing humanity nowadays. In order to assess the adverse effect of six organic micropollutants (atrazine, bisphenol A, dibutyl phthalate, 17β-estradiol, 3,4-dichlorophenol and Na-diclofenac) a short term phagocytic activity test was applied with Tetrahymena pyriformis representing an important trophic level of aquatic ecosystems.
Significant concentration-dependent response in phagocytic activity was experienced to 17β-estradiol and other endocrine disrupting compounds such as 3,4-dichlorophenol, atrazine and dibutyl phthalate with lowest observed effect concentration of 0.01; 0.005; 0.05; 0.05 µg/L, respectively. Although bisphenol A and Na-diclofenac did not result in a concentration-dependent response, significant changes in phagocytic activity were observed.
Our results suggest that the phagocytic activity assay relying on a basic cell response can be a valuable method for the early and sensitive indication of adverse effects of micropollutants.

Keywords:

ecotoxicity, micropollutants, phagocytic activity, Tetrahymena pyriformis, xenoestrogens

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Published Online

2017-08-31

How to Cite

Fekete-Kertész, I., Ullmann, O., Csizmár, P., Molnár, M. “Tetrahymena pyriformis Phagocytic Activity Test for Rapid Toxicity Assessment of Aquatic Micropollutants”, Periodica Polytechnica Chemical Engineering, 62(2), pp. 167–174, 2018. https://doi.org/10.3311/PPch.10667

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Articles