Suitability of cytotoxicity endpoints and test microalgal species to disclose the toxic effect of common aquatic pollutants

• Pesticides, metals and pharmaceuticals provoke acute effects on two microalgal species.
• Chlorella vulgaris and Chlamydomonas moewusii are suitable for toxicity bioassays.
• Assayed protocols can be used for the prospective assessment of the potential cytotoxicity.
• Esterase activity and primary DNA damage stood out as sensitive cytotoxicity biomarkers.

Pulse discharges of chemicals to aquatic environments may lead to high concentrations of them in surface waters for short periods of time, but enough to induce toxic effects on aquatic organisms; however, no many methods allow an early warning of toxicity of these agents. Acute effects of one representative chemical from each of three of the main groups of aquatic pollutants (pesticides, metals and pharmaceuticals) are studied on two green microalgal species (Chlamydomonas moewusii and Chlorella vulgaris). Flow cytometry protocols were used to detect the potential application of chlorophyll a fluorescent emission, cell viability, metabolic activity and membrane potential as cytotoxicity endpoints, besides an epifluorescence microscopy protocol for comet assay to detect genotoxicity level of cells. Obtained results confirm the suitability of them for the prospective assessment of the potential cytotoxicity of these aquatic pollutants. The two microalgal species analysed could be used as indicators in toxicity bioassays, being C. moewusii more sensitive than C. vulgaris. Among cell parameters assayed, the metabolic activity and the primary DNA damage stood out as sensitive cytotoxicity endpoints.