US EPA

5341865 

Journal Article 

Accumulation and elimination of gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (gamma-HCH) by the marine algae Chlamydomonas and Dunaliella 

Canton, JH; Vanesch, GJ; Greve, PA; Vanhellemond, ABAM 

1977 

1 

Water Research
ISSN: 0043-1354
EISSN: 1879-2448 

1 

111-115 

PESTAB. Chlamydomonas rapidly accumulates alpha-HCH (alpha-BHC) (alpha-hexachlorocyclohexane) from aqueous solutions; elimination also takes place rapidly, i.e. in less than 30 min. The average concentration factor f, defined as the alpha-HCH concentration in the algae (mug/g) divided by the alpha-HCH concentration in the water phase (mug/ml) amounts to 0.31 x 103 (range: 0.21 x 103 to 0.41 x 103, depending on the batch of the algae). The concentration factor is not dependent on the alpha-HCH or cell concentration. This is in agreement with the fact that alpha-HCH was not found to be acutely toxic to Chlamydomonas in concentrations up to the solubility limit. The accumulated alpha-HCH is found primarily in the cell content, corresponding with the low fat content of the cell wall: the non-lipid fraction accumulates 11-14% of the total amount of alpha-HCH only. Accumulation of alpha-HCH proved to be correlated with the lipid content of the cell, as illustrated by accumulation experiments with algae with different fat content. The concentration factor on lipid basis was 12,000-13,000. No difference was found in accumulation behavior between living or dead algae cells.