Toxicity and Bioaccumulation of Hexavalent Chromium in Green Paramecium, Paramecium bursaria

Abstract

The effects of hexavalent chromium on the cell growth of green paramecium, Paramecium bursaria (P. bursaria), were investigated in this study. Two strains (MB-1 and F1 generation) of P. bursaria were incubated in lettuce media supplemented with different concentrations of potassium dichromate under LL (24 hr light), LD (12 hr light : 12 hr dark) and DD (24 hr dark) conditions, and the IC50 values were obtained. The IC50 7-day value showed that the toxicity of potassium dichromate was light-sensitive in both strains of P. bursaria. The results of the toxic effect of chromium on the cell shape of P. bursaria (BWK-4) showed that the body ratio of P. bursaria increased, even if the cells were incubated for 24 hr with 0.5 µM potassium dichromate solution, indicating that the cell shape of P. bursaria is very sensitive to potassium dichromate. The average amount of chromium accumulated in green paramecium ranged from 1.72 to 15.5 pg Cr/cell in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. This finding indicates the possibility of the use of P. bursaria as a biomonitor and bioaccumulator for chromium contaminants in aquatic environments. The experiment with electrical stimuli into the culture of P. bursaria indicated that cells accumulated at the negative electrode, suggesting that P. bursaria carried a positive charge. Thus, because the positive charge does not cause any significant absorption of chromium into the cells, P. bursaria may develop a variety of mechanisms for chromium accumulation in the cell. Further research studies are required to elucidate the mechanism of chromium uptake in P. bursaria.