Cellular responses and bioremoval of nonylphenol and octylphenol in the freshwater green microalga Scenedesmus obliquus

The removal of nonylphenol (NP) and octylphenol (OP) by the freshwater green microalga Scenedesmus obliquus was studied in cultures exposed to different concentrations of NP and OP for 5 days. In most cases, low NP and OP concentrations (<1 mg/L) did not affect the growth, fluorescence transient (Fv/Fm), photosynthetic pigments and cell ultrastructure of S. obliquus, whereas high NP and OP concentrations (>1 mg/L) suppressed algal growth, decreased Fv/Fm and photosynthetic pigments, and destroyed algal ultrastructure. S. obliquus had a rapid and high ability to remove NP and OP. After 5 days of culturing, >89 percent NP and >58 percent OP were removed by this alga, with the highest removal efficiency being near 100 percent. The removal of NP and OP was mainly caused by algal degradation. Extracellular NP contents of S. obliquus were lower than intracellular NP contents, with the ratios changing from 0 to 0.74. However, most of extracellular OP contents of S. obliquus were higher than intracellular OP contents, with the ratios changing from 0.74 to 2.15. The two alkylphenols exhibited a high bioconcentration potential, with one-day bioconcentration factors (BCF) of NP and OP varying between 3393 to 13262 and 949 to 3227, respectively. After 5 days of culturing, high BCF values were still recorded when NP and OP initial concentrations were higher than 0.5 mg/L. These results demonstrated potential application of this algal species in the removal of organic contaminants including alkylphenols in addition to nutrients and metals.

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► S. obliquus was highly efficient for removing nonylphenol and octylphenol.
► Nonylphenol and octylphenol was degraded by algae.
► Nonylphenol and octylphenol presented high bioconcentration factors.