Abstract :
is a unicellular organism, widely distributed in the freshwater environment, where heavy metals are common contaminants. are very abundant group in aquatic ecosystems, which makes them effective biological indicators of water pollutants. The aim of this study was to determine the ability of to survive in various concentrations of three different heavy metals: Ferrous Sulphate (FeSO), Mercuric Chloride (HgCl) and Zinc Chloride (ZnCl). The ciliates were incubated in solutions with 0.3 to 1.5 ppm of FeSO, 0.01 to 0.05ppm of HgCl and 0.10 to 0.95 ppm of ZnCl. at room temperature. Using compound microscope, microscopic observations of cell divisions rate was conducted after 24, 48, 72 and 120 hours of incubation in the tested solutions and was compared to the control sample. Microscopic observations revealed that all the concentrations of HgCl were lethal for all samples except sample no. 3 while FeSO and ZnCl were found to be growth promoter for of all 10 samples.
Keyword :
Heavy metals, Ferrous Sulphate, Mercuric Chloride, Zinc Chloride, acute toxicity, Paramecium, ciliates, biological indicator