The effect of temperature and NaCl concentration on the kinetic method of toxicity determination using Vibrio fischeri

Abstract

In this paper the effect of temperature and NaCl concentration on the kinetic method of toxicity determination using Vibrio fischeri was studied for 50 ppm Zn²⁺. This work shows that both NaCl concentration and temperature affect the kinetics of toxicity as well as the luminescence of the bacteria, and hence these are important factors that need to be considered in the development of a miniaturised portable instrument. Furthermore, this work shows that the conditions for which the kinetic test was most sensitive, i.e. exhibited the greatest response, were 23 °C and 2% NaCl. However, at these conditions small variations in temperature and NaCl concentration could lead to great errors in the results. Thus 12.5 °C and 2% NaCl are preferred as at these conditions the obtained results are more robust. Although at the latter conditions the toxicity rate constant was found to be 5.5 times less than that for 23 °C, the value is comparable to that obtained for 15 °C. From the data available it was also found that the temperature dependence of the toxicity rate fits the Arrhenius equation, in a behaviour similar to that of simpler chemical reactions.