Porous underwater chamber (PUC) for in-situ determination of nutrient and pollutant bioavailability to microorganisms

Hassler, CS; Twiss, MR; Simon, DF; Wilkinson, KJ

Porous underwater chamber (PUC) for in-situ determination of nutrient and pollutant bioavailability to microorganisms

Hassler, CS Twiss, MR Simon, DF Wilkinson, KJ

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 2008, 6 (7), pp. 277 - 287
Issue Date:: 2008-07-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Hassler, CS	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Twiss, MR	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Simon, DF	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Wilkinson, KJ	en_US
dc.date.issued	2008-07-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 2008, 6 (7), pp. 277 - 287	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/8509
dc.description.abstract	© 2014, by the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography. Physical (e.g., temperature and light) and biogeochemical (e.g., cycling) parameters are known to affect bioavailability and toxicity of nutrients and pollutants to microorganisms. A system that would allow exposure of selected microorganisms to in situ conditions could provide relevant and novel evaluations of bioavailability. A simple and low cost 37 mL porous underwater chamber (PUC), in which test microorganisms are exposed to field conditions, is presented. The PUC is a thin, acrylic cylinder with polycarbonate membranes on each side, providing an optimal (75 cm2) exchange with the external solution. Regardless of the membrane pore size (0.4 and 5 μm), the PUC required 10 h to equilibrate with the external solution, close to the theoretical time determined for the diffusion of a model compound, the Suwannee River fulvic acid. For in situ use, the PUCs can be filled with filtered water to minimize the equilibration time. The system was validated in 20 to 60 L artificial freshwater by evaluating (1) Cd bioaccumulation by the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and (2) iron bioavailability to a cyanobacterial bioreporter in comparison with conventional bottle assays. The use of the PUC resulted in no significant differences in Cd uptake fluxes or iron bioavailability. Field experiments undertaken on Lake Erie demonstrated that the PUCs could be used to evaluate the contribution of particulate iron to iron bioavailability. Because the PUCs might not correctly reflect bioavailability for substances at low concentrations with high biouptake fluxes, a critical discussion with respect on the rate-limiting steps of the device is presented. Several considerations that might facilitate the appropriate use of the PUCs are given.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Limnology and Oceanography: Methods	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.4319/lom.2008.6.277	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Marine Biology & Hydrobiology	en_US
dc.title	Porous underwater chamber (PUC) for in-situ determination of nutrient and pollutant bioavailability to microorganisms	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	7	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	6	en_US
utslib.for	0602 Ecology	en_US
utslib.for	04 Earth Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	06 Biological Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	7	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	6	en_US

Abstract:

© 2014, by the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography. Physical (e.g., temperature and light) and biogeochemical (e.g., cycling) parameters are known to affect bioavailability and toxicity of nutrients and pollutants to microorganisms. A system that would allow exposure of selected microorganisms to in situ conditions could provide relevant and novel evaluations of bioavailability. A simple and low cost 37 mL porous underwater chamber (PUC), in which test microorganisms are exposed to field conditions, is presented. The PUC is a thin, acrylic cylinder with polycarbonate membranes on each side, providing an optimal (75 cm2) exchange with the external solution. Regardless of the membrane pore size (0.4 and 5 μm), the PUC required 10 h to equilibrate with the external solution, close to the theoretical time determined for the diffusion of a model compound, the Suwannee River fulvic acid. For in situ use, the PUCs can be filled with filtered water to minimize the equilibration time. The system was validated in 20 to 60 L artificial freshwater by evaluating (1) Cd bioaccumulation by the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and (2) iron bioavailability to a cyanobacterial bioreporter in comparison with conventional bottle assays. The use of the PUC resulted in no significant differences in Cd uptake fluxes or iron bioavailability. Field experiments undertaken on Lake Erie demonstrated that the PUCs could be used to evaluate the contribution of particulate iron to iron bioavailability. Because the PUCs might not correctly reflect bioavailability for substances at low concentrations with high biouptake fluxes, a critical discussion with respect on the rate-limiting steps of the device is presented. Several considerations that might facilitate the appropriate use of the PUCs are given.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/8509