Uptake of an organochlorine insecticide by a microalga Tetraselmis gracilis

Estuarine microalga Tetraselmis gracilis was studied to find out the bioaccumulation of an organochlorine insecticide. The gas chromatographic technique was employed to find out the insecticide uptake by T. gracilis. The microalga had the ability to concentrate the organochlorine insecticide from the medium in which they are growing. Algae grown in 0.5 ppm of BHC in the medium accumulated 0.106 ppm i.e. about 21.2% of what was present in the medium. But at 4 ppm concentration, about 29.43% was accumulated after 10 days of exposure.