Cellular response of freshwater green algae to perfluorooctanoic acid toxicity

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a kind of persistent organic pollutants and its aquatic eco-toxicity has attracted wide attention; however, the mechanism involved in its toxicity as well as the cell response against PFOA have not been well established. Herein, using single-celled green algae Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Selenastrum capricornutum at the logarithmic growth stage as test organisms, we studied the toxic effects of PFOA on the cell permeability, The 96 h-EC50 values of PFOA for C. pyrenoidosa and S. capricornutum were 207.46 mg L−1 and 190.99 mg L−1, respectively, lower than the 96 h-EC50 values reported in the literatures. After 96 h of PFOA exposure, the permeability of the cell membranes of both algae was significantly decreased, and the chlorophyll concentration mirrored the trends of algal growth. In both algal species, after a 192-h exposure to a low concentration of PFOA, the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were greater than those of the control. At higher concentrations of PFOA, activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were strongly inhibited. These results indicate that long-term exposure to low levels of PFOA may induce excessive generation of reactive oxygen species in algal cells, causing oxidative damage to cells.

► PFOA significantly reduced the cell membrane permeability of green algae.
► The changes in chlorophyll concentration mirrored the growth trends of algal cells.
► After 192 h of exposure to PFOA, SOD and CAT activities were significantly increased.
► At higher concentrations of PFOA, the SOD and CAT activities decreased.
► PFOA may lead to membrane lipid peroxidation and oxidative damage to cells.