Main Content

The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 6108

Benjamin L. Preston, Terry W. Snell, and R. Kneisel; UV-B exposure increases acute toxicity of pentachlorophenol and mercury to the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. Environmental Pollution 106:23-31, 1999

Reprint

In File

Notes

Adverse biological effects of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation have been well documented for phytoplankton and zooplankton in both marine and freshwater ecosystems. However, investigations of interactions between UV-B and anthropogenic toxicants have focused primarily on the chemical interactions between UV-B and the toxicant. Here we investigated the potential for UV-B to increase the sensitivity of the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus to either acute pentachlorophenol (PCP) or mercury toxicity, independent of UV-B effects on these toxicants. UV-B increased the toxicity of PCP and mercury to B. calyciflorus as much as five-fold, depending on duration of UV-B exposure and toxicant concentration. Reductions in the LC50 of up to 60% were also seen for both toxicants. UV-B alone effectively eliminated B. calyciflorus reproduction and reduced ingestion by up to to 90%. These results demonstrate the potential for UV-B to increase rotifer sensitively to anthropogenic stressors independent of photochemical reactions with toxicants.