ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
·
2025
·
IF 7.7
Zeliang Liu,Xuanlin Cao,Manli Wu,Wenjie Huang,Xia Dong,Xing Chen,Chun Zhang
Perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), an emerging alternative to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), has become increasingly prevalent in aquatic ecosystems, yet its ecotoxicological impacts remain poorly understood. This study investigated the aquatic toxicity of PFBA using the freshwater algae Chlorella vulgaris ( C . vulgaris ) as a model organism, employing a 96h pre-exposure assay to determine the median effective concentration followed by acute toxicity experiments analyzing multiple endpoints including growth, photosynthetic parameters, oxidative stress markers, and antioxidant enzyme activities. Computer simulation techniques were utilized to illustrate the underlying molecular mechanisms of PFBA toxicity. The results showed that the 96h-EC 50 value of PFBA was 154.88 mg/L, which is comparable to conventional per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Acute toxicity experiments revealed a biphasic dose-response relationship to the algal growth with the hormetic effects at the lower concentrations (30.97–92.93 mg/L) but inhibition at the higher levels (123.91–185.86 mg/L) of PFBA. High dosages of PFBA significantly decreased the maximum photosynthetic yield (Fv/Fm) and relative electron transfer rate (rETR), while inducing oxidative stress and inhibiting superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. Future AlphaFold2 modeling and molecular docking simulations demonstrated the potential binding of PFBA to photosystem II D1 C-terminal processing protease (PSII D1 protein), SOD, and CAT. These findings reveal a complex toxicity mechanism of PFBA on C . vulgaris involving photosynthetic disruption, oxidative stress, and antioxidant system impairment, contributing to the understanding of short-chain PFAS alternative ecotoxicity in aquatic ecosystems.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Water
·
2021
·Vol. 13
·期 18
·2498
·
IF 3.103
Wenlong Lu,Yifeng Xu,Chuanzhou Liang,Baba Imoro Musah,Lai Peng
The biosorption behaviour of arsenic(V) and cadmium(II) ions by unmodified and five types of chemically modifiedChlorella vulgarisandSpirulina platensiswas investigated. The biosorption rates of As(V) and Cd(II) in binary metal solutions were lower than those in sole metal systems, which exhibited a competition between As(V) and Cd(II) ions to occupy the active sites of the adsorbent. Among the five chemical reagents, NaCl and ZnCl2were the most suitable modifiers for improving the biosorption performance ofC. vulgarisandS. platensis, respectively. The maximum biosorption capacities of As(V) and Cd(II) were: (a) 20.9 and 1.2 mg/g, respectively, forC. vulgarismodified with NaCl; (b) 24.8 and 29.4 mg/g, respectively, forS. platensismodified with ZnCl2, which were much higher than those using other chemically modifying methods. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model fitted well with all the biosorption processes. The SEM analysis revealed that the modification changed the surface morphologies and enhanced the porosity of the algae biomass. The FTIR analysis established the presence of diverse groups of compounds that were largely hydroxyl, carboxylate, amino, and amide groups on the adsorbents that contributed significantly to the upregulated biosorption. This work showed the potential application of chemically modifiedC. vulgarisandS. platensisbiomasses to effectively remove both from water.Keywords:arsenic;cadmium;simultaneous biosorption;algae;chemical modification
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
·
2021
·
IF 6.291
Zezheng Wang,Dongdong Fu,Liu Gao,Huaiyuan Qi,Yuanyuan Su,Licheng Peng
Environmental aging of ubiquitous microplastics (MP) occurs through the action of biotic and abiotic factors, and aged MP exhibit different physicochemical properties and environmental behavior from virgin MP. This study aimed to investigate the aged micro-sized polystyrene (mPS) and polyvinyl chloride (mPVC), and the heavy metals copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd), and examine the effects of their combined toxicities on microalga Chlorella vulgaris . Results showed that the presence of MP inhibited cell growth as compared with the control, the inhibition rate ( I ) decreased as concentrations of MP rose and aged MP exhibited stronger inhibition of cells than did virgin MP. The largest I was achieved in each culture with the MP concentration of 0.01 g/L, in which aged mPS with the maximal of 36.84% ( I aged mPS ) followed by aged mPVC ( I aged mPVC = 30.03%), virgin mPS ( I virgin mPS = 29.10%) and virgin mPVC ( I virgin mPVC = 16.72%). Addition of the heavy metals Cu 2+ and Cd 2+ significantly inhibited cell growth, and toxicity increased with concentrations in a range of 0.5–2.0 mg/L; the maximum I values were 19.50% ( I Cu ) and 85.14% ( I Cd ), respectively. The combined toxicity of aged MP + Cu or aged MP + Cd was less than that of individual heavy metals. In particular, as compared with the maximal I Cd of 85.14% achieved by single Cd 2+ , the toxicity of Cd 2+ was greatly reduced when combined with aged mPS and mPVC, with the I value decreased to 27.55% ( I aged mPS ) and 32.51% ( I aged mPVC ), respectively. Both single and combined treatments caused cell damage to the microalga, accompanied by increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and intracellular malonaldehyde (MDA) content.
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Algal Research-Biomass Biofuels and Bioproducts
·
2025
·
IF 4.5
Wenjie Yuan,Yicheng Wu,Yeling Zhou,Bingjun Shu,Jinqi Cai,Haiyan Fu
Traditional wastewater treatment processes have a relatively low removal rate of the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline. This study employed Chlorella vulgaris as the test organism to investigate the effects of exposure to different concentrations of amitriptyline on various biological functions of the microalga. The results showed that the physiological activities of C. vulgaris were inhibited by amitriptyline primarily through the disruption of photosynthesis, the imbalance of the antioxidant system, and the suppression of photosynthesis-related gene expression. The content of chlorophyll a was significantly reduced by 72.0 %, while the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase were increased to 217.5 % and 67.2 %, respectively. The transcriptional levels of PsaB and PsbC genes were significantly suppressed by 75.5 % and 57.2 %, respectively. After 8 days of exposure to 5 mg/L amitriptyline, the maximum removal rate of amitriptyline by C. vulgaris was determined to be 62.62 %, with biodegradation identified as the predominant removal pathway. The removal of amitriptyline followed pseudo-first-order kinetics, with a degradation half-life of 5.93 days. The study provides theoretical foundations for optimizing microalgal based treatment processes of amitriptyline contaminated wastewater and delivers critical data support for environmental risk assessment of amitriptyline.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Toxics
·
2026
·Vol. 14
·期 6
·519
·
IF 4.9
Xiaona Li,Xiangjun Hou,Yu Kong,Ning Liu,Zhenyu Wang
Particulate emerging contaminants (PECs) pose increasing ecological risks due to their widespread occurrence and complex environmental behaviors, yet their heterogeneous toxic mechanisms remain poorly understood, especially under environmentally relevant conditions and concentration gradients. Here,Chlorella vulgariswas used as a model organism to systematically compare the effects of polystyrene nanoparticles (PSNPs), silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) across environmentally relevant and elevated concentrations (100 μg/L and 10 mg/L). Distinct toxicity pathways were identified among PEC types. PSNPs primarily induced chronic interference via particle–cell interactions, heteroaggregation, sedimentation-driven shading, and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) regulation, rather than ROS-dominated toxicity. In contrast, AgNPs exhibited transformation-driven toxicity, undergoing intracellular speciation into Ag2S, AgCl, and Ag+, which triggered oxidative stress, membrane damage, and lipid peroxidation. TiO2NPs showed relatively high bioavailability and persistent oxidative stress effects. These results demonstrate that PEC toxicity evolves with particle type and concentration. Importantly, oxidative stress alone is insufficient to capture PEC ecotoxicity, which also involves the long-term impacts on algal behavior, sedimentation dynamics, and energy metabolism. This study provides mechanistic insights into PEC-induced algal toxicity and supports the source-oriented management of particulate pollutants in aquatic environments, particularly in hotspot scenarios such as wastewater discharge and sediment resuspension.
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION
·
2022
·Vol. 233
·期 9
·1-8
·
IF 2.984
Wu Yicheng,Zhou Zhuoyi,Ou Lihui,Yu Jian,Fu Haiyan,Yang Aili
Carbamazepine, as one of the pharmaceutical and personal care products, is highly persistent in aquatic environments. This study investigated the effects of carbamazepine on the physiology and photosynthetic characteristics of Chlorella vulgaris , and the removal of carbamazepine by C. vulgaris was evaluated. The results showed that the growth and the photosynthesis activity of C. vulgaris decreased with the increase in carbamazepine concentration, while superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were markedly promoted. It was also revealed that C. vulgaris could result in efficient removal of carbamazepine with a concentration of 40 mg/L. The removal efficiency reached 79.16 ± 3.98% after 8-day exposure. Pathway analysis revealed that 77.05 ± 3.91% of carbamazepine was removed by biodegradation, and bioaccumulation and biosorption contributed only 1.47 ± 0.14% and 0.37 ± 0.06%, respectively. The research implied that biodegradation by C. vulgaris might be an efficient method to treat carbamazepine-contaminated water. Graphical abstract
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
·
2021
·
IF 7.963
Ruohua Qu,Qiting Xie,Jiang Tian,Min Zhou,Fei Ge
Phosphorus removal by algae-based biotechnology can be achieved through algal assimilation, surface adsorption, or abiotic precipitation. However, there are still unavailable how these phosphorus removal processes were affected by nanoparticles in wastewater. Here, we employed a non-targeted metabolomic approach to reveal the impact of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the phosphorus assimilation by a unicellular green alga Chlorella vulgaris F1068 ( C. vulgaris F1068). Results showed that AgNPs mostly inhibited total phosphorus (TP) removal by the algal assimilation, with TP removal efficiency being reduced by 66.2% (with 0.20 mg/L AgNPs) of the control (without AgNPs). Metabolomics analysis also indicated that AgNPs disturbed metabolic responses related to phosphorus assimilation. AgNPs inhibited phospholipid metabolism which included inositol phosphate metabolism and phosphatidylinositol signaling system (downregulation of glycerol-3-phosphate and myo -inositol, as well as upregulation of serine). Metabolites related to phosphorus assimilation products were impacted through downregulation of guanine , glutamine, alanine , and aspartic acid , as well as upregulation of succinic acid, thereby impeding the algal assimilation of phosphorus. Moreover, perturbation of glutathione metabolism induced by oxidative stress stimulated the alteration of membrane state (upregulation of glycine). These findings contribute to a molecular-scale perspective of nanoparticles on algae-based biotechnology in phosphorus removal.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2019
·
IF 4.784
Mengen Yu,Mengjiao Chen,Jiangli Gui,Shudan Huang,Yumeng Liu,Huifei Shentu,Jian He,Zhiyu Fang,Weimin Wang,Yongjun Zhang
In the present study, six different polysaccharides (RFPs, MAPs, UWPs, AEPs, HWPs and CEPs) were extracted from Chlorella vulgaris using repeated freeze–thawing, microwave-assisted-, ultrasonic wave-, alkali-, hot water-, and cellulase-based methods; and antioxidant property assays were performed both in vitro and in vivo . Radical-scavenging capacity (using DPPH, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals) and metal chelating ability were assessed in vitro ; Caenorhabditis elegans was used to assess antioxidant effects in vivo . Based on the in vitro screening tests, UWPs exhibited high antioxidant capacity. The UWP yield was 17.1% ± 2.2%; the DPPH-, superoxide-, and hydroxyl radical-scavenging rates were 65.1% ± 2.4%, 61.2% ± 2.7%, and 56.2% ± 2.2%, respectively, and the metal chelating ability was 63.6% ± 2.5% at a concentration of 0.4 mg/mL. UWPs also exhibited high antioxidant activity in vivo . UWPs significantly increased the lifespan of C. elegans under oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide compared with the control group, enhanced stress-resistance-related enzymes, including catalase and superoxide dismutase by 7.29% ± 1.8% and 24.41% ± 4.8%, respectively. The results of the present study indicate that the extraction methods of C. vulgaris polysaccharides were a key factor influencing antioxidant activity.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
·
2026
·Vol. 14
·期 5
·124002
·
IF 7.5
Mihebai Yilimulati,Dongyuan Zhang,Jieyu Wang,Zaimire Abudushalamu,Wentao Zhang,Nuzahat Habibul
The ecological effects of antibiotics at environmentally relevant low concentrations have attracted considerable attention, but how they regulate algal growth and influence bloom risks through selective, dose-dependent, and algae-specific mechanisms remains poorly understood. Moreover, most conventional toxicological studies have used high concentrations at the mg/L level, which are orders of magnitude higher than actual environmental concentrations (ranging from ng/L to μg/L). To address this gap, the present study systematically compared the selective effects and metabolic mechanisms of norfloxacin on the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa and the green alga Chlorella vulgaris under environmentally relevant concentrations. Low NOR concentrations (0.01–0.5 μg/L) stimulated the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa , increased its photosynthetic pigment content, enhanced photosystem activity, and activated metabolic pathways related to nucleotide and amino acid synthesis. Interestingly, higher NOR concentrations (5–100 μg/L) suppressed photosynthesis, induced oxidative stress, promoted the release of extracellular organic matter, and markedly disrupted central energy metabolism, including carbon fixation, glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. In contrast, Chlorella vulgaris exhibited greater tolerance, as evidenced by maintained photosynthetic homeostasis, moderate metabolic reorganization, and no significant fluctuation in cell abundance. These findings indicate that environmentally relevant concentrations of norfloxacin may selectively stimulate the growth of the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa through a “low-dose promotion, high-dose inhibition” pattern mediated by key metabolic pathways. The differential algae-specific responses suggest that norfloxacin pollution could potentially increase the risk of cyanobacterial blooms, although this possibility remains to be validated through co-culture or field studies.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Algal Research-Biomass Biofuels and Bioproducts
·
2026
·
IF 4.5
Xiaotong Zou,Shaohua Zhao,Ke Liu,Lingtao Li,Miaosen Zhang,Rui Lu,Changqing Fang
The increasing environmental burden associated with petroleum-based plastic packaging has stimulated growing interest in microalgae-derived bio-based materials for sustainable food packaging applications. In this study, active composite films based on chitosan (CS) and Chlorella vulgaris (CV) oil were prepared using a solution-casting method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations indicated that the incorporation of CV oil significantly altered the film morphology, resulting in uniformly distributed porous microstructures. Mechanical property analysis showed a gradual decrease in tensile strength, accompanied by an initial increase followed by a decline in elongation at break, with a maximum enhancement of 66%. The surface hydrophobicity of the films increased with increasing CV oil content, as evidenced by an increase in water contact angle up to 83.99°, while water solubility, swelling ratio, and water vapor permeability were correspondingly reduced. Optical measurements revealed a pronounced decrease in UV–visible light transmittance, indicating improved light-barrier performance. Furthermore, bioactive compounds present in CV oil enhanced the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the films, with the DPPH radical scavenging activity increasing from 43.17% to 73.45% and effective inhibition observed against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . These results demonstrate the potential of CV oil as a functional microalgae-derived additive for the development of sustainable and bioactive packaging films.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY
·
2019
·
IF 3.794
Dongdong Fu,Qiongjie Zhang,Zhengquan Fan,Huaiyuan Qi,Zezheng Wang,Licheng Peng
Microplastics (MPs) could pose potential risks to microalgae, the primary producer of marine ecosystems. Currently, few studies focus on the interaction of aged MPs with other pollutants and their toxic effects to microalgae. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate i) the aging of microplastics polyvinyl chloride (mPVC) in simulated seawater and the changes in physical and chemical properties; ii) the effects of single mPVC (virgin and aged) and copper on microalgae Chlorella vulgaris ; and iii) the interaction of aged mPVC and copper and the oxidative stress towards C. vulgaris . In this study, some wrinkles, rough and fractured surface textures can be observed on the aged mPVC, accompanying with increased hydroxyl groups and aromatic carbon-carbon double bond but decreased carbon hydrogen bond. It was found that single virgin or aged mPVC at low concentration (10 mg/L) had significant inhibition on the growth of C. vulgaris but no inhibition at higher concentration (100, 1,000 mg/L), which can be reasonably explained by the aggregation and precipitation of mPVC at high concentration. The aging of mPVC inhibited the growth of C. vulgaris with the maximum growth inhibition ratio (IR) of 35.26% as compared with that of virgin mPVC (IR = 28.5%). However, the single copper could significantly inhibit the growth of C. vulgaris and the inhibitory effects increased with concentration (0.2, 0.5, 1.0 mg/L). Furthermore, both the single aged mPVC (10 mg/L) and copper (0.5 mg/L) caused serious cell damage, although the concentration of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the intracellular malonaldehyde (MDA) increased. In contrast to single treatment, the growth of C. vulgaris can be enhanced by the combined group with copper (0.5 mg/L) and aged mPVC (10 mg/L).
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
·
2019
·
IF 5.589
Hongwei Luo,Yahui Xiang,Dongqin He,Yu Li,Yaoyao Zhao,Shuo Wang,Xiangliang Pan
Chemical additives leaching from microplastics and their effects on physiology of microalgae are of environmental significance. So far, these issues remain unclear. Here, the leaching behavior of fluorescent additives from polyurethane sponge microplastics in simulated (acidic, saline, and basic water) and natural waters (river, lake, wetland, and sea water) was investigated. Release amount of additives increased with increasing solution pH and leaching time. The maximum release amount was reached at the leaching time of 12–24 h and the 3,3′-diaminobenzidine-like substances were identified in the leachate. The leached concentrations of fluorescent additives in simulated and natural waters followed the order of basic water > saline water > seawater > West Lake > River > Wetland. Effects of leachate and microplastics on growth and photosynthesis of Chlorella vulgaris were further evaluated. The maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (F v /F m ) decreased with increasing leachate concentrations. Only high content (1.6 g L −1 ) of microplastics exerted significant inhibitory influence on cell photosynthesis when microalgae were exposed to microplastics alone. Retention of algal cells inside the porous sponge microplastics did not change their photosynthetic efficiency. These findings indicate that leaching process of additives from microplastics depends mainly on water environments and the leached chemicals may pose ecological risks to aquatic organisms.
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）