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Accumulation, transformation, and release of inorganic arsenic by the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa

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Abstract

Arsenic (As) as a major hazardous metalloid was affected by phytoplankton in many aquatic environments. The toxic dominant algae Microcystis aeruginosa was exposed to different concentrations of inorganic arsenic (arsenate or arsenite) for 15 days in BG11 culture media. Arsenic accumulation, toxicity, and speciation in M. aeruginos as well as the changes of As species in media were examined. M. aeruginosa has a general well tolerance to arsenate and a definite sensitivity to arsenite. Additionally, arsenate actively elevated As methylation by the algae but arsenite definitely inhibited it. Interestingly, the uptake of arsenite was more pronounced than that of arsenate, and it was correlated to the toxicity. Arsenate was the predominant species in both cells and their growth media after 15 days of exposure to arsenate or arsenite. However, the amount of the methylated As species in cells was limited and insignificantly affected by the external As concentrations. Upon uptake of the inorganic arsenic, significant quantities of arsenate as well as small amounts of arsenite, DMA, and MMA were produced by the algae and, in turn, released back into the growth media. Bio-oxidation was the first and primary process and methylation was the minor process for arsenite exposures, while bioreduction and the subsequent methylation were the primary metabolisms for arsenate exposures. Arsenic bioaccumulation and transformation by M. aeruginosa in aquatic environment should be paid more attention during a period of eutrophication.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments. This work was supported by International Science & Technology Cooperation Program of China (2011DFB91710), the National Nature Science Foundation of China (Project Nos. 21277136 and 41271484), and the Fujian Provincial Education Department Foundation (JA12214).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Urban Environmental and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, China

    Zhenhong Wang, Zhuanxi Luo & Changzhou Yan

  2. Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, Zhangzhou Normal University, Zhangzhou, 363000, China

    Zhenhong Wang

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  1. Zhenhong Wang
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  2. Zhuanxi Luo
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  3. Changzhou Yan
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Correspondence to Changzhou Yan.

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Responsible editor: Céline Guéguen

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Wang, Z., Luo, Z. & Yan, C. Accumulation, transformation, and release of inorganic arsenic by the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa . Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 7286–7295 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1741-7

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