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PHYTOTOXICITY
Citation:
Klaine, S. J., M A. Lewis, AND S. L. Knuteson. PHYTOTOXICITY. 2002, David J. Hoffman, Barnett A. Rattner, G. Allen Burton, Jr., John Cairns, Jr. (ed.), Handbook of Ecotoxicology. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL, , 191-218.
Description:
Handbook of Ecotoxicology. Second Edition.. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL. 32 p.
Phytoplankton, benthic and epiphytic microalgae, and macroalgae are energy sources critical to most aquatic ecosystems. Changes in their density and composition can effect the chemical and biological quality of the habitat. Therefore, the evaluation of the phytotoxicity of a contaminant is an essential component of any ecological risk assessment. Freshwater microalgae are used more frequently in phytotoxicity tests than any other type of freshwater or marine plant. However, algae are used less often than animal species. This is attributable to several factors, including the technical expertise needed to conduct phytotoxicity tests. In
addition, some consider plants to be less sensitive than animals to toxicants. However, algae have been found to be more sensitive than animal species to a variety of contaminants (Table 1). A review of the toxicity database for premanufacturing notification submissions for the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) indicated that algae were more sensitive than animal species in 50% of the submissions and less sensitive in 30%. It is clear that the sensitivities of plants and animals to toxicants is unpredictable and that no assumptions of equivalency should be make. Therefore, the use of algae is necessary to estimate the environmental hazard of
chemicals. This use is most frequent in the U.S. for commercial chemicals to comply with requirements for TSCA and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). In contrast, the phytotoxic effects of most municipal and industrial effluents, contaminated sediments, and hazardous wastes are unknown.