Toxicological effects of chlorpyrifos on growth, chlorophyll a synthesis and enzyme activity of a Cyanobacterium Spirulina (Arthrospira) platensis.

Abstract

Chlorpyrifos, is one of the most widely used organophosphorus insecticides for agricultural activities, and it is highly toxic to non-target organisms. This paper aims to acquire the experimental data on the eco-toxicological effects of Chlorpyrifos and the data can support the assessment of toxicity on the phytoplankton. The microalgae S. platensis was employed to evaluate toxicity of Chlorpyrifos by means of measuring the specific growth rate, generation time, percent growth inhibition, the pigment content of chlorophyll a and carotenoid and the antioxidant enzyme super oxide dismutase. In this study, the results showed that EC50 values was found to be 33.65 mg L-1 , indicating the Chlorpyrifos had a relatively limited growth of algae during the acute toxicity experimental period. The growth of the microalgae was significantly affected at 40mg L−1 of Chlorpyrifos, showing growth inhibition after 72h of exposure. Biochemical properties, including carotenoid, chlorophyll and antioxidant enzymes of C. vulgaris were influenced by Chlorpyrifos at relatively high concentrations. Moreover, when algae were exposed to Chlorpyrifos, SOD activity was significantly enhanced compared to control.