Methylation of Arsenic by Freshwater Green Algae

Abstract

Isolates from four genera of freshwater green algae were capable of methylating sodium arsenite in lake water and Bold's basal medium. Analysis of the liquid phase of the methylation flasks revealed the presence of methylarsonic acid, dimethylarsinic acid, and trimethylarsine oxide. Volatile arsine and methylarsines were not detected in the headspace gases presumably because of the inability of the algae to reduce completely the methylated–arsenic species. Although the algae varied with respect to their methylating abilities, the levels of methylated–arsenic compounds were always significantly higher when the algae were grown in lake water. This may have been due to the lower phosphate concentration in the lake water. We suggest that arsenic methylation by green algae constitutes an additional source for the formation and cycling of organo-arsenic compounds in freshwater ecosystems.