Abstract
The potential of the computer-assisted data acquisition system (CADAS) described by Mayfield [1] was evaluated as a tool for toxicology experimentation. The metals mercury and cadmium and the pesticides Atrazine and Fluridone were selected as typical toxicants. The effects of these toxicants on the chlorophyll fluorescence of several algae as measured with the CADAS were evaluated. The metals caused a reduction in both the initial and final fluorescence of the cells and also increased the rate of fluorescence decay. The pesticides resulted in a decrease in the rate of fluorescence decay and increased final fluorescence values. The CADAS was also used to examine the effect of mercury and cadmium on membrane permeability. Algal cells were loaded with fluorescein at pH 5.5 and then exposed to a solution containing one of the metals. The CADAS was used to monitor the change in cellular concentration of fluorescein, showing for example that the matals increased the rate of fluorescein loss from the cells. These test systems showed the CADAS system to be a sensitive toxicological tool capable of obtaining data rapidly and reliably.
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