Acute and chronic exposure of Dunaliella salina and Chlamydomonas bullosa to copper and cadmium: effects on growth.

Effective copper and cadmium concentrations which limited the growth of two chlorophytes by 50%, EC(50)s, after 96 h of static exposure were determined. EC(50)s were 5.94 microM copper and 4.55 microM cadmium for Dunaliella salina, and 0.78 microM copper and 0.025 microM cadmium for Chlamydomonas bullosa. The relationship of the two cations was synergistic towards the growth of both species. Chronic exposure to 4.5 x 10(-6) microM cadmium or 4.9 x 10(-4) microM copper increased the sensitivity of C. bullosa by 26% and 29% towards cadmium and copper, respectively. Changes in co-tolerance were not observed. Cd-treated D. salina was 50% more tolerant towards this cation, whereas Cu-treated cultures showed extreme sensitivity towards copper and "co-sensitivity" towards cadmium. Furthermore, the phylogenetic hypothesis, predictive of toxic response, failed to hold at the familial level.