Degradation of textile dyes by cyanobacteria

Abstract Dyes are recalcitrant compounds that resist conventional biological treatments. The degradation of three textile dyes (Indigo, RBBR and Sulphur Black), and the dye-containing liquid effluent and solid waste from the Municipal Treatment Station, Americana, São Paulo, Brazil, by the cyanobacteria Anabaena flos-aquae UTCC64, Phormidium autumnale UTEX1580 and Synechococcus sp. PCC7942 was evaluated. The dye degradation efficiency of the cyanobacteria was compared with anaerobic and anaerobic-aerobic systems in terms of discolouration and toxicity evaluations. The discoloration was evaluated by absorption spectroscopy. Toxicity was measured using the organisms Hydra attenuata, the alga Selenastrum capricornutum and lettuce seeds. The three cyanobacteria showed the potential to remediate textile effluent by removing the colour and reducing the toxicity. However, the growth of cyanobacteria on sludge was slow and discoloration was not efficient. The cyanobacteria P. autumnale UTEX1580 was the only strain that completely degraded the indigo dye. An evaluation of the mutagenicity potential was performed by use of the micronucleus assay using Allium sp. No mutagenicity was observed after the treatment. Two metabolites were produced during the degradation, anthranilic acid and isatin, but toxicity did not increase after the treatment. The cyanobacteria showed the ability to degrade the dyes present in a textile effluent; therefore, they can be used in a tertiary treatment of effluents with recalcitrant compounds.

Toxicity effects of nickel electroplating effluents treated by photoelectrooxidation in the industries of the Sinos River Basin / Avaliação do efeito tóxico de efluentes oriundos da indústria galvânica na região da Bacia do Rio dos Sinos após o tratamento pelo processo de fotoeletrooxidação

The Sinos river Basin is an industrial region with many tanneries and electroplating plants in southern Brazil. The wastewater generated by electroplating contains high loads of salts and metals that have to be treated before discharge. After conventional treatment, this study applied an advanced oxidative process to degrade organic additives in the electroplating bright nickel baths effluent. Synthetic rinsing water was submitted to physical-chemical coagulation for nickel removal. The sample was submitted to ecotoxicity tests, and the effluent was treated by photoelectrooxidation (PEO). The effects of current density and treatment time were evaluated. The concentration of total organic carbon (TOC) was 38% lower. The toxicity tests of the effluent treated using PEO revealed that the organic additives were partially degraded and the concentration that is toxic for test organisms was reduced.

A Bacia do Rio dos Sinos é uma região do Sul do Brasil que sedia um importante pólo da indústria coureiro-calçadista incluindo, desde o beneficiamento das peles, em curtumes, à fabricação dos acessórios, em indústrias metalúrgicas e de galvanoplastia. O efluente gerado por processos galvânicos contém carga elevada de sais e metais que devem ser tratados antes do descarte. Neste artigo foi avaliada a aplicação de um processo oxidativo avançado após o tratamento convencional do efluente, visando degradar os aditivos orgânicos presentes nos efluentes dos banhos de eletrodeposição de níquel brilhante. Um efluente sintético foi tratado pelo processo físico-químico de coagulação para a remoção do níquel. A amostra foi, então, submetida a testes de ecotoxicidade e, em seguida, o efluente foi tratado pelo processo de fotoeletrooxidação (FEO). A influência da densidade de corrente e o tempo de tratamento foram avaliados. Foi verificada uma redução de carbono orgânico total superior a 38%. Os ensaios de ecotoxicidade para o efluente tratado por fotoeletroxidação indicaram que a FEO degradou parcialmente os aditivos orgânicos e reduziu a concentração que provoca efeitos tóxicos para os organismos teste.

Antioxidant modulation in response to heavy metal induced oxidative stress in Cladophora glomerata.

The present investigation was carried out to study the induction of oxidative stress subjected to heavy metal environment. Lipoperoxides showed positive correlation at heavy metal accumulation sites indicating the tissue damage resulting from the reactive oxygen species and resulted in unbalance to cellular redox status. The high activities of ascorbate peroxidase and superoxide dismutase probably counter balance this oxidative stress. Glutathione and soluble phenols decreased, whereas dehydroascorbate content increased in the algae from polluted sites. The results suggested that alga responded to heavy metals effectively by antioxidant compounds and scavenging enzymes.

Effects of tributyl-tin on a marine microalga, Tetraselimis suecica.

Marine pollutants induce changes in microalgal metabolism. In this study effects of tributyl-tin chloride (TBTCl) on a marine microalga Tetraselmis suecica was studied. The changes induced by TBTCI on growth rate, viability and biochemicals were assessed. In acute exposure to TBTCl, EC50 estimated for 24 hr was 2.02 microg ml(-1), whereas total lethality was observed at 4 microg ml(-1). In chronic exposure to TBTCl, at higher concentrations (0.5-1 microg ml(-1)) growth rate, chlorophyll pigments, carbohydrate and protein contents were reduced. The results of this study indicate that TBTCl toxicity made drastic changes in growth and biochemical composition of T. suecica.

Efecto de metales pesados en el crecimiento de la microalga tropical Tetraselmis chuii (Prasinophyceae) / Efect of heavy metals on the growth of the tropical microalga Tetrasermis chuii (Prasinophyceae)

El presente trabajo determina el efecto tóxico de los metales cadmio (Cd), cobre (Cu), mercurio (Hg) y plomo (Pb) en la microalga tropical Tetraselmis chuii (Butcher, 1959). Se expuso, por triplicado, 50 ml de cultivo (f/2 Guillard) de la microalga en fase de crecimiento logarítmica ante las concentraciones de 0 (control); 0.1; 1.0; 5.0; 10.0 y 20.0 mg· l-1 durante 96 hr. La evaluación del efecto letal se realizó diariamente, mediante recuento celular con una cámara de Neubauer. En el tratamiento control, sin exposición al metal, se observó un incremento de la densidad celular, en contraste con un decrecimiento en los tratamientos con exposición a los metales, los cuales fueron acelerados hasta las 48 hr, a partir de cuando el decrecimiento se hizo menos pronunciado. Una excepción se produjo con el Cd y el Cu a las 24 h, donde no se determinó decrecimiento significativo, probablemente debido a su capacidad de actuar como micronutriente a bajas concentraciones. El metal que produjo mayor efecto fue el Pb, produciendo una letalidad al 50% de la población microalgal a 0.40 mg· l-1, la cual fue casi tres veces menor que la establecida para el Hg y más de 13 veces menor que la del Cd y Cu. Se recomienda la microalga Tetraselmis chuii como especie modelo para la utilización en pruebas en función estimar efectos tóxicos por xenobióticos en el ambiente acuático marino tropical

We determined the toxic effect of four metals, cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb), on the tropical microalga Tetraselmis Chuii (Butcher, 1959). We exposed 50 ml of cultivated microalgae (f/2 Guillard) in the exponential growth phase, with three replicates, to concentrations of 0 (control), 0.1, 1.0, 5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 mg· l-1 with each metal for 96 hr. We evaluated the lethal effect daily, through the cellular count. In the control treatment (not exposed to any metal) we observed an increase in cellular density. In all treatments exposed to metals, we observed a decrease in cellular density, which accelerated in 48 h, after which it became less pronounced. There were exceptions with low concentrations of Cd and Cu at 24 h, as there was no significant decrease, probably due to their use as micronutrients at these low concentrations. The metal that caused the most lethal effect was Pb, which killed 50% of the microalgal population at a concentration of 0.40 mg· l-1. This concentration was 3 times lower than that of mercury and 13 times lower than those of cadmium and copper. The microalga Tetraselmis chuii is recommended as a model species to estimate the toxic effects of xenobiotics on tropical seawater environments

Minimum effective release rate of antifoulants.1. Effects of zosteric acid at Ford Island, Hawaii (USA).

Minimum effective release rate (MERR) of zosteric acid (ZA) was studied at Ford Island. At laboratory condition, spore attachment in Enteromorpha intestinalis was inhibited significantly at 28.2 microg cm2 of ZA. More than 95% reduction in spore attachment was achieved in Ulva fasciata at 2,000 microM of ZA through membrane diffusion system. At 40 cm depth level larval settlement was high with maximum number of Hydroides elegans settlement. The overall larval settlement was increased with increasing days of exposure. The MERR of 10 microg cm(-2) d(-1) ZA inhibited 50% of the larval settlement. However, the inhibition rate was not proportionate to the antifouling ZA concentration. Using MERR membrane diffusion system an effective antifouling strategy was suggested for Ford Island.