Pv. Phatarpekar et Za. Ansari, Comparative toxicity of water soluble fractions of four oils on the growthof a microalga, BOTAN MARIN, 43(4), 2000, pp. 367-375
Toxic effects of water soluble fractions (WSF) of four different fuel oils
on a microalga, Tetraselmis gracilis, were examined and compared. On applyi
ng different concentrations of WSF, a decrease in cell population was obser
ved. Depending on different physico-chemical properties, the hydrocarbons s
howed different inhibitory effects on the growth of Tetraselmis gracilis. P
etrol was the most toxic and produced inhibitory effects even at low concen
trations while HDD and crude oil inhibited growth at higher concentrations.
Kerosene did not appreciably alter the growth either at lower or higher co
ncentrations. The increase in toxicity was attributed to the presence of ar
omatic hydrocarbons of medium to higher molecular weight and their chemical
modifications. The experimental data has shown that different oils have di
fferent potential for environmental damage, depending on the types and conc
entration of soluble and dispersed hydrocarbon present in the WSF.