The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute toxicity effects of dichloromethane and dichloroethane on Chlorella vulgaris at the physiological and molecular level. Data showed that the cell number, chlorophyll a, and total protein content gradually decreased with increasing dichloromethane and dichloroethane concentrations over a 96-h exposure. Lower doses of two organic solvents had stimulatory effects on catalase and superoxide dismutase activity. Malondialdehyde showed a concentration-dependent increase in response to dichloromethane and dichloroethane exposure. Electron microscopy also showed that there were some chloroplast abnormalities in response to different concentrations of dichloromethane and dichloroethane exposure. Real-time polymerase chain reaction assay demonstrated that dichloromethane and dichloroethane reduced the transcript abundance of psaB, whereas that of psbC changed depending on the toxicant after 24 h of exposure. Dichloromethane and dichloroethane affected the activity of antioxidant enzymes, disrupted the chloroplast ultrastructure, and reduced transcription of photosynthesis-related genes in C. vulgaris, leading to metabolic disruption and cell death.
Keywords: Chlorella vulgaris; dichloroethane; dichloromethane; real-time PCR; toxicological response.