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Individual and Mixture Effects of Selected Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products on the Marine Phytoplankton Species Dunaliella tertiolecta

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Abstract

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) entering the environment may have detrimental effects on aquatic organisms. Simvastatin, clofibric acid, diclofenac, carbamazepine, fluoxetine, and triclosan represent some of the most commonly used and/or detected PPCPs in aquatic environments. This study analyzed the individual and mixture toxicity of these six PPCPs to the marine phytoplankton species Dunaliella tertiolecta using a standard 96-hour static algal bioassay protocol. All PPCPs tested had a significant effect on D. tertiolecta population cell density. However, of the six PPCPs tested, only triclosan yielded toxicity at typical environmental concentrations. The 96-hour EC50 values for triclosan, fluoxetine, simvastatin, diclofenac, and clofibric acid were 3.55 μg/L, 169.81 μg/L, 22,800 μg/L, 185,690 μg/L, and 224,180 μg/L, respectively. An EC50 value could not be determined for carbamazepine; however, the highest concentration tested (80,000 μg/L) reduced cell density by 42%. Both mixtures tested—simvastatin–clofibric acid and fluoxetine–triclosan—demonstrated additive toxicity. The presence of PPCP mixtures may decrease the toxicity threshold for phytoplankton populations. Detrimental effects on phytoplankton populations could ultimately impact nutrient cycling and food availability to higher trophic levels. The results of this study are a first step toward identifying the risk of PPCPs to estuarine organisms and may benefit environmental resource managers.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Lorimar Serrano for assistance with the algal bioassays. Jessica Fleming received funding for this research from the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates grant DBI-0244007. The National Ocean Service (NOS) does not approve, recommend, or endorse any proprietary product or material mentioned in this publication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Department of Commerce/NOAA, National Ocean Service, Coastal Center for Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, 219 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, SC, 29412, USA

    Marie E. DeLorenzo

  2. Ashland University, Ashland, OH, 44805, USA

    Jessica Fleming

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  1. Marie E. DeLorenzo
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  2. Jessica Fleming
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Correspondence to Marie E. DeLorenzo.

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DeLorenzo, M.E., Fleming, J. Individual and Mixture Effects of Selected Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products on the Marine Phytoplankton Species Dunaliella tertiolecta . Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 54, 203–210 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-007-9032-2

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