Light intensity affects tolerance of pyrene in Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus acutus

The impact of light intensity on the toxicity of pyrene, a 4-ring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), was studied in Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus acutus. Both species were cultured under low light, LL [50-60 mu mol(photon) m(-2) s(-1)], and high light, HL [100-110 mu mol(photon) m(-2) s(-1)] conditions to study the effects of pyrene (PYR) toxicity on growth parameters, the content of biomolecules, chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic efficiency. In the presence of PYR, S. acutus could grow well in LL and HL intensity. On the other hand, C. vulgaris showed a drastic decrease in growth and photosynthesis during HL conditions due to PYR toxicity. Regulation of nonphotochemical and photochemical quenching was responsible for the survival of S. acutus under PYR toxicity in LL and HL conditions. Thus, S. acutus seems to be a more promising candidate for pyrene degradation under varying light conditions.