Ciprofloxacin toxicity and its co-metabolic removal by a freshwater microalga Chlamydomonas mexicana.

This study evaluated the toxicity and cellular stresses of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and its co-metabolic removal in a freshwater microalga Chlamydomonas mexicana. The toxicological effects of CIP on C. mexicana were assessed by studying the growth and biochemical characteristics of the microalga including total chlorophyll, carotenoid content, malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The calculated effective concentration (EC50) of CIP on C. mexicana was 65±4mgL-1 at 96h. The growth of C. mexicana was significantly inhibited at increased concentrations of CIP, showing 36±1, 75±3. and 88±3% inhibition at 40, 60 and 100mgL-1 CIP, respectively, compared to the control after 11days of cultivation. The total chlorophyll, carotenoid, MDA and SOD activity were significantly increased as a result of relatively high concentrations of CIP stress. C. mexicana showed 13±1% removal of CIP (2mgL-1) after 11days of cultivation; however, the addition of an electron donor (sodium acetate, 4gL-1) highly enhanced the removal of CIP (2mgL-1) by>3-fold after 11days. Kinetic studies showed that removal of CIP followed a first-order model (R2 0.94-0.97) with the apparent rate constants (k) ranging from 0.0121 to 0.079 d-1.

Biodegradation of carbamazepine using freshwater microalgae Chlamydomonas mexicana and Scenedesmus obliquus and the determination of its metabolic fate.

This study evaluated the toxicity and cellular stresses of carbamazepine (CBZ) on Chlamydomonas mexicana and Scenedesmus obliquus, and its biodegradation by both microalgal species. The growth of both microalgal species decreased with increase of CBZ concentration. The growth of S. obliquus was significantly inhibited (97%) at 200 mg CBZ L(-1), as compared to the control after 10days; whereas, C. mexicana showed 30% inhibition at the same experimental conditions. Biochemical characteristics including total chlorophyll, carotenoid contents and enzyme activities (SOD and CAT) for both species were affected by CBZ at relatively high concentration. C. mexicana and S. obliquus could achieve a maximum of 35% and 28% biodegradation of CBZ, respectively. Two metabolites (10,11-dihydro-10,11-expoxycarbamazepine and n-hydroxy-CBZ) were identified by UPLC-MS, as a result of CBZ biodegradation by C. mexicana. This study demonstrated that C. mexicana was more tolerant to CBZ and could be used for treatment of CBZ contaminated wastewater.