ANTIBIOTICS

Antibiotics play a crucial role in medicine, aquaculture, and agriculture, but their persistence in wastewater and runoff poses significant environmental risks, particularly for aquatic ecosystems. This study evaluated the effects of tetracycline and chloraphenicol on the growth of Acutodesmus acutiformis, a freshwater green microalga.. The experiment involved culturing A. acutiformis with varying concentrations (0, 5%, 10%, 20%,30%,40%,50%) of tetracycline and chloramphenicol under controlled laboratory conditions at the University of Benin. Microalgal growth was monitored spectrophotometrically at 750 nm over 14 days, alongside physicochemical parameters such as temperature, total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and total organic carbon (TOC). Statistical analysis (one-way ANOVA, paired t-test descriptive statistics) revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in growth response and water quality parameters except for tetracycline and for chloramphenicol which had no significant difference with regards the antibiotic concentrations with a percentage yield of (P<.05). Tetracycline exhibited a dose- dependent effect, promoting growth at 50% concentration but inhibiting it at higher levels, while chloramphenicol significantly promoted growth possibly due to the presence of proteisynthesis. The growth response of Acutodesmus acutiformis was revealed using an interval of 0 -14days. Meanwhile the result of the physicochemical parameters such as temperature, pH, TD and conductivity after been acted by antibiotic concentration of tetracycline and chloramphenicol were revealed in various upward and downward trend, it was observed that both antibiotics influenced algal growth.