Metal Toxicity across Different Thallus Sections of the Green Macroalga, Ulva australis

We aimed to identify functional differences between different sections of the thallus of Ulva australis and develop tissue-endpoint combinations to assess the toxicity of six metals (i.e., Ag, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Ni). EC(50) values for these metals in three sections of the thallus of Ulva were obtained for multiple endpoints: relative growth rate (RGR), chlorophyll a fluorescence, pigment contents, and the expression of the photosynthesis-related gene, rbcL. The responses of the endpoints varied across the respective thallus sections; overall, the most toxic metals were Ag and Cu. These endpoints were the best for evaluating metal toxicity: ETR(max) of the middle thallus sections for Ag toxicity; RGR of the middle thallus section for As and Cd; ETR(max) of the marginal thallus section for Cr; Chl b contents of the marginal thallus section for Cu; RGR of the basal thallus section for Ni. The EC(50) values for the inhibition of ETR(max) in middle (0.06 mg∙L(−1)) and Chl b in the marginal thallus sections (0.06 mg∙L(−1)) were all lower than those of the quality standard for wastewater discharge values of Ag and Cu in Republic of Korea and the US, pointing to the suitability of U. australis-based endpoints for risk assessment.