Physiological responses of three marine microalgae exposed to cypermethrin

The effects of cypermethrin on physiological responses of three typical marine microalgal species Skeletonema costatum (Bacillariophyceae), Scrippsiella trochoidea (Dinophyceae), and Chattonella marina (Raphidophyceae), were investigated by 96‐h growth tests in a batch‐culture system. The 96‐h median inhibition concentrations (IC50) were 71.4, 205, and 191 μg L−1 for S. costatum, S. trochoidea, and C. marina, respectively. Quick and significant physiological responses occurred when algal cells were exposed to cypermethrin, and all biochemical parameters varied significantly within 6‐ or 12‐h exposure. Cypermethrin affected algal growth, protein content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity by stimulation at low concentrations (1, 5 μg L−1) and inhibition at high concentrations (>50 μg L−1). A general increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) level was observed in all test groups, which suggested that the toxic effects of cypermethrin were probably exerted through free radical generation. These results suggest that the activation of SOD and promotion of protein at early exposure are important to counteract the oxidative stress induced by cypermethrin, and the inactivation of SOD may be crucial to the growth inhibition of microalgae by cypermethrin. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2012.