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Spotlight on the long-term effects of micro/nanoplastics exposure on Spirulina platensis: Algal cells, extracellular polymeric substances, and phycocyanin
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Scientists studied the effects of micro and nanoplastics on Spirulina, a nutritional algae widely used as a food supplement, over a 50-day period. The plastic particles slowed Spirulina growth, damaged cell surfaces, and initially reduced the quality and quantity of phycocyanin, a valuable blue pigment. Since Spirulina is consumed by humans as a health food, microplastic contamination in algae culture environments could affect the quality and safety of these supplements.
Spirulina platensis (SP) provides humans with proteins and natural pigments. The effects of micro/nanoplastics (MNPs) on SP are of great interest. We focused on the effects of high concentrations (100-300 mg/L) of polystyrene MNPs on SP for 50 days. MNPs caused growth retardation, a decrease in peak concentration of algal cells, the emergence of surface cracks and pores, and stimulated the secretion of extracellular polymeric substances that promoted heterogeneous aggregation of SP. During the first 35 days, there were significant differences between the exposure groups in the phycocyanin concentration, yield and purity and the ratio of phycocyanin to phycobiliprotein, with the higher MNPs concentration resulting in lower values, whereas on day 50 there were no statistically significant differences in any of these metrics between the control or exposure groups. This study enriches the knowledge about the long-term effects of MNPs on SP for microalgae culture and food industry.
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