Interactions between cyanobacteria and emerging contaminants in aqueous environments

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Antibiotics; Biological remediation; Cyanobacteria; Emerging contaminants; Microplastics.