Microalgae are the most abundant microorganisms in aquatic environments, and many possess theability to remove organic contaminants. The presence of endocrine disruption compounds (EDCs) inmany coastal marine systems and their associated risks have elicited great concern, especially in thecase of nonylphenol (NP), which is classifed as a priority contaminate by the U.S. EPA. In this context,batch experiments were conducted to investigate the intracellular absorption, extracellular adsorptionand biodegradation of NP by four species of marine microalgae: Phaeocystis globosa, Nannochloropsisoculata, Dunaliella salina and Platymonas subcordiformis. The results showed a sharp reduction of NP inmedium containing the four microalgal species during the frst 24h of incubation, and the four speciesexhibited the greatest capacity for NP adsorption and absorption within 24h of culture. However, theamount of NP absorbed and adsorbed by all four microalgae decreased with increasing time in culture,and intracellular absorption was greater than extracellular adsorption. After 120h of exposure to NP,the four species could biodegrade most of the NP in the medium, with efciencies ranging from 43.43 to90.94%. In sum, we found that the four microalgae have high biodegradation percentages and can thusimprove the bioremediation of NP-contaminated water.
展开▼
