Toxicity of 40 herbicides to the green alga Chlorella vulgaris

The effects on the green alga Chlorella vulgaris of 40 herbicides in 19 different chemical structure classes and with 11 dissimilar modes of action were studied through 96-h acute toxicity tests. Experimental results indicated that the average acute toxicity of acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides to C. vulgaris was close to those of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicides and the lipid synthesis-inhibiting protoporphyrinogen oxidase (Protox) inhibitor. Their acute toxicities were higher than those of the microtubule process inhibitor, mitotic process inhibitor, the glutamine synthase inhibitors, and 5-enolpyruvyl-shikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSP synthase) inhibitors. The acute toxicities of auxin herbicides to C. vulgaris were the lowest among all herbicides tested and that of the photosynthesis-inhibiting herbicides was the highest.