Toxic effect of triphenyltin chloride on the alga Spirulina subsalsa

A previous study on the deleterious effect of triphenyltin chloride (TPTCl) on the alga Spirulina subsalsa reported on four physiological and biochemical indices (or parameters): growth rate, chlorophyll content, phycocyanin content and nitrate reductase activity. In the present study, further research was performed to confirm the findings reported in the previous paper, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The SEM images show significant changes in the screw‐pitch of S. subsalsa, suggesting that TPTCl may damage the inheritance characteristics of S. subsalsa. The TEM images illustrate that the external pectin theca, limiting membrane and inter photosynthetically active lamella in the S. subsalsa cell are those targets that can be easily damaged. Reversible and irreversible cell damage (cell necrosis) are also observed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.