INFLUENCE OF WATER HARDNESS ON THE TOXICITY OF SELECTED PHARMACEUTICALS AND METALS TO THE PROTOZOA Spirostomum ambiguum AND Tetrahymena termophila

摘要

The goal of the study was the evaluation of the toxicity of selected metals and Pharmaceuticals to ciliated protozoa in two media with different hardness: very soft and hard water. Two ciliates were used as test-bionts: Spirostomum ambiguum in the acute toxicity test (Spirotox) and Tetrahymena termophila in the chronic toxicity test (Protoxkit F™). Thioridazine and Amitriptyline were the most toxic drugs to S. ambiguum with an EC50 below 0.5 ppm. Pro-pranolol and Verapamil were 3-6 folds and 6-10 folds less toxic, respectively. Spirotox was much more sensitive to tested drugs than Protoxkit F™, from 25-folds for Thioridazine and Verapamil to 100-folds for Amitriptyline. Hardness of water did not influence significantly the toxicity of the drugs to very sensitive S. ambiguum, whereas it increased the sensitivity of lower sensible protozoan T. termophila. In case of metals the sensitivity of the test depended on the metal, water hardness and the procedure of the test. Spirotox comparing to Protoxkit F was more sensitive to zinc, similar sensitive to cadmium in soft water, less sensitive to lead and cadmium in hard water.