Ecological relevance of a chlorophyll a fluorescence ecotoxicological endpoint

Publication Type:
Journal Article
Citation:
Toxicological and Environmental Chemistry, 2010, 92 (8), pp. 1529 - 1540
Issue Date:
2010-08-27
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With the increasing use of new techniques to assess toxic stress and the effects of pollution, it is important to ensure that any "new" endpoint employed is able to demonstrate a level of eco-relevance. Though recent application of chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters to macroalgal bioassays has been successful, a level of eco-relevance for such use has not been experimentally shown. As such, this article presents a series of experiments designed to establish a link between fluorescence parameters and higher-level effects (supra-individual level). The results show that fluorescence parameters are capable of predicting germination success of macroalgal gametes and can do so much sooner than the actual event of germination. Furthermore, a decline in ΔF/F′m is shown to be strongly associated with a reduced germination success. Thus, a level of eco-relevance has been established for the fluorescence endpoint that is at least equal to that of the widely accepted germination-based macroalgal bioassays. © Taylor & Francis.
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