Monitoring dihydrodiol polyaromatic hydrocarbon metabolites produced by the freshwater microalgae Selenastrum capricornutum

• PAH metabolites produced by Selenastrum capricornutum were monitored.
• Metabolite identities were confirmed using HPLC-MS.
• The metabolites were quantified in liquid medium and biomass at different times.
• Benzo(a)pyrene and benzo(a)anthracene metabolites were in greater quantity.
• Benzo(b)fluoranthene and benzo(k)fluoranthene metabolites were identified.

We found that microalgae exposed to a mixture of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) did not show growth inhibition. Thus, we assumed that they could metabolize these compounds. In this study, the dihydrodiol-type PAH metabolites of benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), benzo(a)anthracene (BaA), benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbF) and benzo(k)fluoranthene (BkF) produced by the freshwater microalgae Selenastrum capricornutum were monitored and quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD) techniques. Exposure bioassays with S. capricornutum were performed using a 266 ng mL−1 mixture of PAHs at different exposure times (0.75, 1, 3, 8, 16, 24 and 48 h) under controlled temperature (25 °C); the dihydrodiol metabolites formed in the liquid medium and the biomass were quantified. Metabolite identities were confirmed using HPLC-mass spectrometry; most of the metabolites formed were derived from BaA degradation. At 48 h after exposure 5,6-dBaA and 8,9-dBaA/10,11-dBaA were present in the liquid medium at 20% and 67% of the initial mass of BaA, respectively. Three metabolites of BaP were monitored in the liquid medium and biomass and, at 24 h, 4,5-dBaP accounted for 19%; , 7,8-dBaP, 5%; and 9,10-dBaP, 5% relative to the initial BaP mass. Microalgae exposed to BbF showed the presence of 1,2-dBbF and 9,10-dBbF (at 0.3% and 0.1% of the initial BbF mass, respectively) and those exposed to BkF produced 8,9-dBkF (6.5% of the initial BkF mass) in the liquid medium. Seven unknown compounds were formed after exposure; two compounds were identified as the metabolites of BaA and BaP. The results could facilitate the elucidation of the controversial biodegradation mechanism in microalgae.

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