Uptake of cadmium by Stichococcus bacillaris

The uptake of cadmium by the green alga $\text{Stichococcus bacillaris}$ was studied. It was found that about 80% of the uptake was due to adsorption, and about 20% to energy-dependent transport. Investigations on the relationship between the sorption of cadmium and the equilibrium concentration (Ce) revealed that the alga cells are saturated at Ce20mg Cd/1.     

Energy-dependent transport of cadmium by Stichococcus bacillaris

The investigations showed that Stichococcus bacillaris took up cadmium by means of adsorption and energy-dependent transport. Cadmium transport into alga cells was inhibited in the dark as well as under the influence of the uncouplers: 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), and ATPase inhibitor - N, N′ - dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD). It has also been stated that CCCP caused ATP level decrease in cells.     

The influence of pH on cadmium toxicity to the green alga Stichococcus bacillaris and on the cadmium forms present in the culture medium

Cadmium toxicity to the green alga Stichococcus bacillaris was investigated in media of pH 3-9. A significant decrease of cadmium toxicity occurred in both the acidic and alkaline ranges of pH. In media of pH 3 and 9, cadmium did not affect the dry mass content substantially. Maximum toxicity of cadmium was noticed at pH 6-7. Voltametric investigations showed a significant effect of pH on electrochemically measured cadmium content in the culture media. Hydrolysis of the medium components and formation of cadmium complexes with OH(-) ions caused a considerable decrease in amounts of electrochemically measured cadmium in the alkaline range of pH.     

Correlations between toxic Pb effects and production of Pb-induced thiol peptides in the microalga Stichococcus bacillaris

Comparing Pb toxicity to the green alga Stichococcus bacillaris and production of Pb-induced thiol peptides in 24-h exposed cells made it possible to show the level of these peptides to reflect Pb availability to algal cells. LC-ESI/MS analysis of these peptides confirmed that they are phytochelatins PC2-PC4 and their des-Gly derivatives. Studies were carried out at environmentally relevant pH values (5-8.5) and various concentrations of hardness cations (Ca, Mg) and orthophosphate: (0-0.1 mM), chloride (0-100 mM), citrate (0-1 mM), and humic acids (0-10 mg/l). It has been stated, on the basis of the level of Pb-induced thiol peptides, that Pb availability to algae changed significantly within the range of the pH values studied, and was limited in the presence of calcium and of some complexing ligands like orthophosphate, chloride and citrate; it did not decrease in the presence of magnesium or humic acid.     

Cadmium(II) removal from aqueous solutions by pre-treated biomass of marine alga Padina sp

In this study, the adsorption properties of a pre-treated biomass from marine alga Padina sp., a biomass collected from Surin Island, Thailand, for removal of cadmium(II) ions from aqueous solutions was investigated. Batch and column experiments were conducted to determine the adsorption properties of the modified biomass. At a pH of 5, the maximum removal capacity of the biomass is 0.53 mmol/g. The kinetics of cadmium(II) adsorption were fast with 90% of adsorption taking place within 35 min. This study demonstrated that the pre-treated biomass of Padina sp. could be used as an efficient biosorbent for the treatment of cadmium(II)-bearing wastewater streams.     

Cadmium and chromium removal kinetics from solution by two aquatic macrophytes

The aim of this work was to determine chromium and cadmium bioaccumulation processes of two free-floating macrophytes commonly used in wetlands for water treatment: Salvinia herzogii and Pistia stratiotes. Metal removal from the solution involves two stages: a fast one and a slow one. The fast stage of the Cd uptake is significantly different for each species, while it is not significantly different in Cr uptake. The most important processes of Cd uptake are biological ones in S. herzogii and adsorption, chelation and ionic exchange are in P. stratiotes. The main processes of Cr uptake in both macrophytes are adsorption, chelation and ion exchange. The slow stage is different for each species and metal. Cr precipitation induced by roots occurs in P. stratiotes. Cr uptake through leaves is probably the main cause of the increase of Cr in the aerial parts of S. herzogii.     

有色金属冶炼厂镉污染土壤淋洗除镉

以云南省某废弃有色金属冶炼厂镉污染土壤为研究对象,分别采用单一淋洗和复合淋洗方法探究盐酸、FeCl3、鼠李糖脂淋洗剂及淋洗条件对土壤中镉去除效果的影响。结果表明,在盐酸(1 mol·L-1)+鼠李糖脂(2%)配比为2∶1,液固比为8∶1,淋洗时间为24 h的条件下,土壤中镉的去除率可达86.78%,可将镉污染强度为1 180 mg·kg-1的土壤修复至满足《土壤环境质量建设用地土壤污染风险管控标准》(GB 36600-2018)第二类用地管制值(Cd-1)的要求。该方法可有效去除土壤中活性态镉,使土壤生物毒性明显降低。     

Spore release by the green alga Ulva: a quantitative assay to evaluate aquatic toxicants

A toxicity test using spore release of the aquatic green alga, Ulva, was developed and evaluated by assessing the toxicity of different organic and inorganic chemicals and elutriates of sewage or waste sludge. The toxic ranking of four metals was: Cu (EC50 of 0.040mgL(-1))>Cd (0.095mgL(-1))>Pb (0.489mgL(-1))>Zn (0.572mgL(-1)). The EC50 for TBTO ranged from 24 to 63microgL(-1). The most toxic VOC was formalin (EC50 of 0.788microlL(-1)) and the least toxic was acetone. Spore release was significantly inhibited in all elutriates; the greatest and least toxic effects were for industrial sewage (3.29%) and filtration bed (10.08%), respectively. The bioassay is simple, inexpensive and sensitive. The cosmopolitan distribution of Ulva means that the test would have a potential application worldwide.     

化学沉淀法强化常规工艺应急去除水中的镉

在常规工艺基础上,通过投加氢氧化钠,实验进行了应急去除重金属镉的研究。实验结果表明,该方法能有效去除饮用水水源的镉,效果稳定,可进行应急处理。对pH、镉初始浓度和混凝剂投加量3个影响因素的灰色关联分析表明,3个因素对镉去除效果影响的大小排序为:滤后水pH>混凝剂投加量>镉初始浓度。在水源镉突发污染时,在原有常规水处理工艺基础上,通过控制滤后水pH可实现对重金属镉的去除,pH的控制值与水源水质有关。     

Metribuzin impairs the unicell-colony transformation in the green alga Scenedesmus obliquus

Active growth is a prerequisite for the formation of grazing-protective, mostly eight-celled colonies by the ubiquitous green alga Scenedesmus in response to chemical cues from zooplankton. Colonies can also be evoked by chemically quite similar manmade anionic surfactants, such as FFD-6. In this study, it was hypothesized that growth-inhibiting concentrations of the herbicide metribuzin impair the ability of Scenedesmus obliquus to form colonies in response to the surfactant morphogen FFD-6. The results confirmed that the formation of colonies in S. obliquus was hampered by metribuzin. EC₅₀ values of metribuzin for colony inhibition (approximately 11 μg L⁻¹) were similar to those for growth and photosynthesis inhibition (12-25 μg metribuzin L⁻¹). In the absence of the colony-inducing surfactant FFD-6, S. obliquus populations were comprised of 92% unicells, having on average 1.2 cells per colony at all tested metribuzin concentrations (0-100 μg L⁻¹). In contrast, in the presence of FFD-6 and at low metribuzin concentrations (0 and 5 μg L⁻¹), S. obliquus had more than five cells per colony with a high portion of eight-celled colonies. However, increasing concentrations of metribuzin decreased the number of colonies in the FFD-6-exposed populations and caused them to remain mostly unicellular at the highest concentrations (50 and 100 μg L⁻¹). This study revealed that metribuzin impeded growth and by doing so, also obstructed the possibility for unicellular Scenedesmus to form colonies. Consequently, an increase in mortality of Scenedesmus from grazing is expected.     

Effect of ferrate on green algae removal

Green algae Cladophora aegagropila, present in cooling water of thermal power plants, causes many problems and complications, especially during summer. However, algae and its metabolites are rarely eliminated by common removal methods. In this work, the elimination efficiency of electrochemically prepared potassium ferrate(VI) on algae from cooling water was investigated. The influence of experimental parameters, such as Fe(VI) dosage, application time, pH of the system, temperature and hydrodynamics of the solution on removal efficiency, was optimized. This study demonstrates that algae C. aegagropila can be effectively removed from cooling water by ferrate. Application of ferrate(VI) at the optimized dosage and under the suitable conditions (temperature, pH) leads to 100% removal of green algae Cladophora from the system. Environmentally friendly reduction products (Fe(III)) and coagulation properties favour the application of ferrate for the treatment of water contaminated with studied microorganisms compared to other methods such as chlorination and use of permanganate, where harmful products are produced.

     

Biosorption of copper, cobalt and nickel by marine green alga Ulva reticulata in a packed column

Biosorption of copper, cobalt and nickel by marine green alga Ulva reticulata were investigated in a packed bed up-flow column. The experiments were conducted to study the effect of important design parameters such as bed height and flow rate. At a bed height of 25 cm, the metal-uptake capacity of U. reticulata for copper, cobalt and nickel was found to be 56.3+/-0.24, 46.1+/-0.07 and 46.5+/-0.08 mgg(-1), respectively. The Bed Depth Service Time (BDST) model was used to analyze the experimental data. The computed sorption capacity per unit bed volume (N0) was 2580, 2245 and 1911 mgl(-1) for copper, cobalt and nickel, respectively. The rate constant (K(a)) was recorded as 0.063, 0.081 and 0.275 lmg(-1)h(-1) for copper, cobalt and nickel, respectively. In flow rate experiments, the results confirmed that the metal uptake capacity and the metal removal efficiency of U. reticulata decreased with increasing flow rate. The Thomas model was used to fit the column biosorption data at different flow rates and model constants were evaluated. The column regeneration studies were carried out for three sorption-desorption cycles. The elutant used for the regeneration of the biosorbent was 0.1 M CaCl2 at pH 3 adjusted using HCl. For all the metal ions, a decreased breakthrough time and an increased exhaustion time were observed as the regeneration cycles progressed, which also resulted in a broadened mass transfer zone. The pH variations during both sorption and desorption process have been reported.     

Bioaccumulation and toxicity of zinc in the green alga, Cladophora glomerata

The bioaccumulation and toxicity of zinc in Cladophora glomerata from two populations in the River Roding, Essex, UK, were examined in experimental laboratory flowing-water channels. Plants were subjected to zinc concentrations ranging from 0 to 4.0 mg litre(-1) at current velocities of 20-33 cm s(-1) for up to 3 h. Zinc in algal tissue was then quantified and toxicity was assessed by the ability of the alga to grow in a recovery medium after the experimental treatment. There was little difference in zinc bioaccumulation between Cladophora from the site showing mild organic pollution and that from the site subjected to considerable inputs from urban and motorway runoff. Uptake of zinc increased with increasing concentration in the test solution and was linear and proportional up to 0.4 mg litre(-1). Three stages of uptake were identified with the most dramatic accumulation occurring in the first 10 min. Experimental concentration factors ranged from 1.9-5.2 x 10(3), which were in agreement with those previously obtained in the field. Cellular damage was evident in Cladophora subjected to 0.4 mg litre(-1) zinc, and this increased with increasing zinc concentration, thus leading to the conclusion that, at times, the levels of zinc found in the river could be potentially damaging.     

Enhanced degradation of benzo[a]pyrene by Mycobacterium sp. in conjunction with green alga

Previous work in this laboratory has confirmed that the bacteria Mycobacterium sp. strain RJGII.135 and Sphingomonas yanoikuyae strain B1 and the green alga Selanastrum capricornutum strain UTEX 1648 degrade benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) to various BaP intermediates. S. capricornutum was first grown with BaP for 4 days. The organic extract of this media was then introduced into separate cultures of strain RJGII.135 and strain B1; separate cultures were grown with BaP for comparison. Cultures grown with BaP and those grown with the algal/BaP extract showed similar mineralization patterns. The quantity of total metabolites formed was greater in bacterial cultures grown with the algal/BaP extract than those grown with BaP alone. For strain RJGII.135, only 27% of the original BaP remained in cultures grown with the algal/BaP extract; 59% remained in cultures grown with BaP. For strain B1, only 6% of the original BaP remained in cultures grown with the algal/BaP extract; 38% remained in cultures grown with BaP. These results indicate that strategies utilizing organisms together may be necessary in being able to degrade large, recalcitrant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) such as BaP.     

A link between lead and cadmium kinetic speciation in seawater and accumulation by the green alga Ulva lactuca

In this work, studies on the bioaccumulation of Cd and Pb by Ulva lactuca at different sites of Gulf San Jorge (Patagonia, Argentina) are presented. Higher values of bioaccumulated Cd were found in Punta Maqueda - a site believed to serve as a control - in comparison to those in Punta Borja, a place highly exposed to urban and industrial activities. Consequently; the labile fractions of Cd and Pb in seawater were determined with a flow injection-preconcentration manifold interfaced to a graphite furnace-atomic absorption spectrometer (FI-GFAAS). The results obtained by kinetic speciation showed that the variable that correctly explains heavy metals accumulation in the alga, is the labile metal fraction in seawater. We propose to use an enhancement ratio - on the basis of the kinetically labile metal fraction - for calculation of the metal accumulated by the alga relative to its environment.     

Toxicity of pH,heavy metals and bisulfite to a freshwater green alga

Low pH markedly reduced the growth and photosynthetic activity of an $\text{Ankistrodesmus}$ sp. The alga could not grow at pH 3 and only slight growth occurred at pH 4. The alga grew well above pH 4 with maximum growth occurring at pH 6. The fixation of ¹⁴CO₂ followed a similar pattern with pH. The algal cells were also sensitive to mercury and bisulfite in acidic conditions. Algal growth and photosynthesis were reduced by mercury and bisulfite more at pH 5 than at pH 7. Lead was relatively non-toxic to the algal cells at both pH levels. Bisulfite inhibited the membrane transport of α-amino-¹⁴C-isobutyric acid at pH 5 but not at pH 7. The results suggest that algal growth and activity may be reduced in acidic lakes by low pH and that the toxicity of mercury and bisulfite is enhanced in acidic conditions.