Preliminary Investigation of the Effect of Select Pollutants on Marine Phytoplankton Using Multidimensional Fluorescence Measurements

The use of multidimensional fluorescence for detecting the effects of select pollutants on algal fluorescence and production is demonstrated. Multidimensional fluorescence is ideally suited to rapidly measure algal fluorescence generated by both chlorophyll a and accessory pigments, as well as any changes induced by pollutants. Laboratory cultured and natural algae samples from classes Chlorophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, and Cyanophyceae were exposed to substituted nitroaromatics and fluorescence spectra of the algae recorded. Notable spectroscopic changes and fluorescence quenching were observed. In addition, a novel method for rapidly preconcentrating dilute natural marine samples is described.