COAL-CONVERSION GASIFIER CONDENSATE 207 



for the data (Y is absorbance, and X is time) was fitted by the 

 least-squares method of linear regression. The slopes were tested for 

 homogeneity using analysis of covariance at the 5% level (P = 0.05). 



Pure Compounds 



Pure phenolic components known to be present in gasifier 

 condensate (3 methyl; 2,6-dimethyl; 3,5-dimethyl; and 4-ethyl) were 

 also examined for their effects on the behavior, respiration, and 

 cytology of Tetrahymena. 



RESULTS 



Behavior 



Little, if any, behavioral alteration was caused by 1% toxicant. 

 Reduction of motility and increased incidence of alteration in cell 

 shape and lysing was directly related to concentrations of from 2 to 

 5%. 



The general scheme of morphological alteration, although a 

 continuum, can be subdivided into three phases: (l)the normal 

 pear-shaped cells become rounded posteriorly; (2) the rounded cells 

 become completely spherical; (3) the spherical cells become swollen. 

 Concomitant with shape changes are alterations in the contractile 

 vacuole. For example, the rate of discharge decreased and the volume 

 of the vacuole increased with increased concentrations and/or 

 increased exposure to condensate. Table 1 summarizes morphological 

 and motility changes in test populations. 



Oxygen Uptake 



Gasifier condensate caused a nonlinear, dose-dependent reduc- 

 tion in oxygen consumption (Fig. 1). Oxygen uptake by Tetra- 

 hymena exposed to 2% or less product water was not different from 

 controls. Respiration of cells exposed to 3% toxicant continued at a 

 normal rate for the initial 90 min of exposure but then decreased 

 with time and plateaued after 300 min. Respiration of cells treated 

 with 5% condensate fell quickly and then leveled off after 120 min. 

 Uptake of oxygen by ciliates exposed to 4% toxicant was inter- 

 mediate to that for those exposed to 3 and 5%. The reduction of 

 culture respiratory rates was correlated with the number of viable 

 cells in the culture at any given time. For example, we can see from 

 Table 1 that, at 180 min in 5% condensate, ~75% of the individuals 

 in the population had lysed. Figure 1 indicates that, at the same 

 concentration and time, the respiratory rate was reduced to about 



