Toxicity of atrazine and chlorsulfuron to algae

Abstract

Sensitivity of three algal species, Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus acutus and Pseudanabaena galeata to herbicides atrazine and chlorsulfuron was studied using single species toxicity tests. Organisms were exposed to different concentrations of these herbicides and the algal growth was measured by turbidity at 750 nm. Atrazine appeared to be the most inhibitory to algae growth. 96 hr EbC50 of atrazine was: 1.3, 0.014, 0.014 mg/1 for C. saccharophila, S. acutus and P. galeata, respectively and 96 hr EbC50 of chlorsulfuron was 74.5 mg/1 for C.saccharophila, 0.19 mg/1 for S. acutus and 21.1 mg/1 for P. galeata