Effect of Naphthalene on Respiration and Apparent Photosynthesis in Chlorella Pyrenoidosna: a Possible Molecular Basis for Inhibition of Respiration by Naphthalene

Abstract

Each day, more and more substances are developed. They and continuously larger amounts of substances long considered toxic are released into the environment where they come in contact with life in its various forms, including human. In many cases, the effects of these substances on living organisms are unknown, and in most cases their action at the molecular level is undetermined. Naphthalene is now nearly ubiquitous in the environment, although for many organisms its effects are unknown. This study determined the effect of naphthalene, both the acute and chronic, on oxygen consumption and evolution during two life phases of the green alga Chiarella pyrenoidosa. These results were compared to those of other organisms and studies, and finally an action of naphthalene was traced to the molecular level. Here, using spectrophtometric methods, naphthalene was demonstrated to interact with a chemical universally present in higher life forms and universally important in respiration. Part of this work has been published in Volume 31 of the Bulletin of Environmental Contaminants and Toxicology (Struble and Harmon, 1983).