Tetrahymena pyriformis phagocytic activity test for rapid toxicity assessment of aquatic micropollutants

Abstract

The increasing worldwide contamination of freshwater ecosystems with micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products, hormones, industrial chemicals and pesticides is a key environmental problem facing humanity nowadays. In order to assess the adverse effect of six organic micropollutants (atrazine, bisphenol A, dibutyl phthalate, 17β-estradiol, 3,4-dichlorophenol and Na-diclofenac) a short term phagocytic activity test was applied with Tetrahymena pyriformis representing an important trophic level of aquatic ecosystems. Significant concentration-dependent response in phagocytic activity was experienced to 17β-estradiol and other endocrine disrupting compounds such as 3,4-dichlorophenol, atrazine and dibutyl phthalate with lowest observed effect concentration of 0.01; 0.005; 0.05; 0.05 µg/L, respectively. Although bisphenol A and Na-diclofenac did not result in a concentration-dependent response, significant changes in phagocytic activity were observed. Our results suggest that the phagocytic activity assay relying on a basic cell response can be a valuable method for the early and sensitive indication of adverse effects of micropollutants.