Abstract
Toxicity and biosorption responses to arsenite (As[III]) were examined in a 96-h exposure study using Scenedesmus quadricauda, one of the most popular green algae distributed in freshwaters in China. Results indicated that the pH-dependent distribution of two arsenite species (H2AsO3- and H3AsO3) played an important role in biosorption and toxicity. The undissociated H3AsO3 was more toxic than its monoanionic H2AsO3- through comparison of algal cell numbers, chlorophyll-a contents, and algal ultrastructural changes observed with transmission electron microscopy. An effective biosorption of 89.0mgg−1 at 100mgL−1 As[III] was found in the treatments with an initial pH of 9.3 and 25.2μgg−1 at 0.03mgL−1 As[III] at an initial pH of 8.2 as a result of the predominant species of H2AsO3- under the ambient pH and Eh conditions. Our results imply that S. quadricauda may provide a new means for the removal of toxic arsenite species present in contaminated surface water.
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