Water Science and Technology Vol 40 No 6 pp 225–228 © IWA Publishing 1999

Effect of the Cyanobacterial Metabolite Geosmin on Growth of a Green Alga

K. S. Sklenar^* and A. J. Horne^**

^*New York State Department of Health, 2 University Place, Room 406, Albany, New York 12203, USA
^**Department of Civil Engineering, Davis Hall, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA

Geosmin (trans-1,10-dimethyl-trans-decalol) is an odorous compound produced by some species of cyanobacteria. It was found to enhance the growth of Selenastrum 1648, a green alga. Chlorophyll a concentrations of unialgal Selenastrum cultures differed significantly in cultures (p<0.001) with different geosmin concentrations. Chlorophyll a concentrations were highest in flasks with geosmin concentrations of 480 ng/l, and lowest in flasks to which no geosmin was added. Significantly higher chlorophyll a concentrations in flasks with higher geosmin concentrations indicate that geosmin may be functioning as some kind of growth enhancer or antibiotic, possibly reducing populations of parasitic bacteria or fungi that antagonize algae.

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