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Interactions between cyanobacteria and emerging contaminants in aqueous environments
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A review examined how cyanobacteria interact with emerging contaminants including microplastics in aquatic environments, finding that plastic surfaces can harbor cyanobacterial growth and influence toxin production. The interactions complicate pollution assessment and may amplify ecological risks in nutrient-rich waters.
Cyanobacteria, prevalent in aquatic environments, are key contributors to the Earth's primary productivity and have historically transformed the planet's surface from anaerobic to aerobic conditions. However, due to improper disposal, a large number of emerging contaminants (ECs) were released into water bodies, which influenced the growth and physiological activities of cyanobacteria. Given the biological representativeness of cyanobacteria, their response to ECs serves as a model for understanding the impact of environmental stressors on other organisms. Thus, this review summarized the effects of ECs, including antibiotics, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and microplastics (MPs) on cyanobacterial growth, morphology, and toxin production. It also explored the effect of cyanobacteria on ECs and reviewed their interactions with EC-related compounds. Additionally, the study highlighted that cyanobacteria could produce endocrine-disrupting toxins and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), while their secondary metabolites could also treat ECs by adsorption and settlement. Compared to the previous ones, this review innovatively focused on the bidirectional perspective. It not only examined the impact of ECs on cyanobacteria but also investigated the influence of cyanobacteria on ECs, particularly in terms of biosorption, biodegradation, and biotransformation. Consequently, this review offered a more balanced and holistic understanding of the interactions between cyanobacteria and ECs in aquatic systems, providing valuable insights into their coexistence and suggesting the potential of using cyanobacteria as an eco-friendly approach for EC remediation.
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This review examines how PET microplastics and their chemical leachates may promote the growth of benthic cyanobacteria in aquatic environments. The study suggests that PET-derived compounds can serve as carbon sources or signaling molecules that alter gene expression related to photosynthesis and stress responses, potentially contributing to harmful cyanobacterial blooms in plastic-polluted waters.
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Microplastics and harmful algae (cyanobacteria) often build up together in polluted lakes, and this review of existing research shows they actually affect each other, plastics stress out the algae, while algae can coat plastics and change how they break down or sink. This combo appears to make lake pollution worse for fish and other wildlife than either problem alone, which matters since these same lakes can be sources of drinking water and food, meaning the risks to human health may be greater than previously understood.
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This review examines the understudied interactions between microplastics and aquatic primary producers such as algae and cyanobacteria. Evidence indicates that microplastics can alter photosynthesis, growth rates, gene expression, and colony morphology in these organisms, potentially through adhesion or transfer of adsorbed pollutants. The authors argue that understanding microplastic impacts on primary producers is a critical missing piece in assessing the full ecological consequences of plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems.
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