Abstract
We investigated the effects of volatile organic carbons (VOCs) evaporated from gas condensate on the cyanobacteria Synechococcus sp. WH8103, the diatom Asterionellopsis glacialis, and the dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum. We used custom algal incubation chambers enabling only the gas condensate-derived VOCs to interact with the cell cultures via an atmospheric bridge, without direct contact with the hydrocarbon oil. The exposure to gas condensate VOCs reduced the abundance, growth rate, and photosynthetic efficiency of Synechococcus sp. WH8103. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assays hint at oxidative damage to the chloroplasts and/or the thylakoid membranes in this organism. A.glacialis abundance, physiological state and growth rates remained unchanged, whereas A.minutum abundance and photosynthetic efficiency increased relative to their respective controls. Our results demonstrate that the effects of a gas condensate formed due to an oil spill will not be restricted to the polluted area, but may be prominent in downwind locations through atmospheric transport.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 115561 |
| Journal | Marine Pollution Bulletin |
| Volume | 195 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 2023 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2023
Funding
This study was supported by the Israel Ministry of Science and Technology (grant 001126 ) to MR-B, GS-V, and ER, the Israel Ministry of Environmental Protection (grant 195-5-1 ) to MR-B and ER and the Israel Ministry of Energy (grant 219-17-015 ) to MR-B, ER and TGH.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Environmental Protection | 195-5-1 |
| Ministry of science and technology, Israel | 001126 |
| Ministry of Energy, Israel | 219-17-015 |
Keywords
- Cyanobacteria
- Diatoms
- Dinoflagellates
- Gas condensate
- Hydrocarbon pollution
- Synechococcus
- Volatile organic carbons