Meeting Abstract

5.1  Friday, Jan. 4  Utilizing algal communities as bioindicators for PPCP contamination WILSON, BA; University of Baltimore bawilson13@gmail.com

There is growing concern over the increased presence of personal and pharmaceutical care products (PPCPs) in the environment. Freshwater algal productivity and diversity are often used as bioindicators for freshwater systems under stress. A series of assays were performed to determine the individual impacts of Triclosan, Estradiol, Loratadine, and Ciprofloxacin on a natural algal community. Toxicological effects were measured as total productivity (chlorophyll a), total protein production (genera production), and relative genera abundance (biovolume). Total productivity was significantly reduced in the presence of and Loratadine (p < 0.05), however, productivity was not significantly reduced by the presence of Triclosan, Estradiol or Ciprofloxacin (p > 0.05). The relative genera abundance was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) in communities exposed to Triclosan and Ciprofloxacin, including the loss of at least one genus. In both cases, the dominant genera present shifted from a high protein producing organism to one of lower protein content. Individual genera produce varying amounts of available protein ranging from 20-60% dry mass. For both Triclosan and Ciprofloxacin there was also a significant loss (p < 0.05) in total protein available due to the change in dominant genera. There was no significant loss in either relative genera abundance or protein content in the algal community exposed to Loratadine or Estradiol (p > 0.05). Productivity may not be a sufficient indicator for potentially compromised ecosystems; other measures of diversity and protein content may be required. Changes within the overall algal community not only represent a loss in potential food sources for preferentially grazing herbivores in freshwater systems, but may also result in herbivorous grazing on less valuable protein sources due to PPCP exposure.