Toxicity and removal of organic pollutants by microalgae: A review

Lin Ke, Yuk Shan Wong, Nora F.Y. Tam

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The ubiquity and persistence of organic pollutants in the aquatic environment are of potential risk to aquatic habitats and human health due to their highly toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic properties. Bioremediation, a cost-effective technology to remove organic pollutants from contaminated water bodies, involves a number of biological processes, including accumulation, transformation and degradation, mediated mainly by microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and microalgae. Eukaryotic microalgae are dominant primary producers and play a central role in the fixation and turnover of carbon and other nutrient elements. However, their role in the remediation of aquatic contaminants and the relative importance of the processes involved are much less understood, as compared to bacteria and fungi. Further, most of the studies on the novel remediation technology using microalgae have concentrated on metals and nutrients and much less on organic pollutants. Screening of tolerant species is a crucial step in bioremediation, and the understanding of the response and adaptive changes in microalgal cells to toxicity induced by organic pollutants is equally important as it serves as a scientific basis of remediation practices. However, there has been very little published information on the toxicity, resistance and adaptations of microalgae to persistent organic pollutants (POPs). This paper reviews the recent research on the sensitivity, tolerance and adaptations of microalgae to the toxicity of various POPs, including organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and some other emerging environmental endocrine disrupting compounds. The review focuses on the physiological and biochemical changes in microalgae and their relationships with tolerance. The mechanisms and factors affecting the capacity of microalgal cells to remove POPs, as well as the feasibility, limitations and future research directions of employing microalgae in POPs remediation, are also addressed.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationMicroalgae
Subtitle of host publicationBiotechnology, Microbiology and Energy
Pages101-139
Number of pages39
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2013
Externally publishedYes

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