Title: The growth inhibition of planktonic algae due to surfactants used in washing agents
Abstract: A survey of inhibitory effects of nonionic and anionic surfactants, including a soap, used in washing agents, on the growth on three species of freshwater phytoplankton, Selenastrum capricornutum, Nitzschia fonticola and Microcystis aeruginosa was conducted. Based on the specific growth rate, μu estimated from a short period (2 or 3 days) cultivation of test algae, the growth inhibition was determined using EC50 values where μu in the culture medium with surfactant decreased 50% of that without surfactant. The EC50 values of nonionic and anionic surfactants tested here for S. capricornutum ranged from 2 to 50 mg l−1 and from 10 to 100 mg l−1, respectively. The tolerances of three species of algae tested with three surfactants, LAS, AE (EO:9) and soap, were different and the inhibitory effects were species specific. EC50 values of LAS, AE (EO:9) and soap for S. capricornutum were 50–100, 4–8 and 10–50 mg l−1, respectively. Those for N. fonticola were 20–50, 5–10 and 20–50 mg l−1, and those for M. aeruginosa were 10–20, 10–50 and 10–20 mg l−1, respectively.
Publication Year: 1984
Publication Date: 1984-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 80
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