Toxicity alleviation and metabolism enhancement of nonylphenol in green algae Dictyosphaerium sp. by NaHCO3

Abstract

Nonylphenol (NP) toxicity limits the improvements in its algal remediation efficiency. This study comprehensively investigated the performance and mechanism of NaHCO₃-driving effects on NP-exposed algae. The results showed that NaHCO₃ enhanced algal resistance to NP and the corresponding EC₅₀ values increased 1.31-4.25 times. Further, the toxicological effects of NP reduced with increasing pyrenoid volume and chlorophyll and carotenoids production, and decreasing cellular damage degree. Moreover, the concentration of extracellular polymeric substances was enhanced and more NP adsorption sites were formed. Consistently, RNA-seq demonstrated significant expression alterations in genes related to energy metabolism, cellular synthesis, photosynthesis, and carbon fixation. Besides, NP biodegradation rate was increased by 15.2 % and 11.1 % in the 1, and 4 mg/L NP treatments, respectively. Identification of degradation intermediates and their toxicity via Ecological Structure Activity Relationship program showed that NaHCO₃ accelerated sequential α-C removal from NP in algae with faster generation of less toxic metabolites, namely, 4-ethylphenol, 4-cresol and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid. This study provides new insights into the role of NaHCO₃ in toxicity alleviation and metabolism enhancement of NP in algae and can assist NP bioremediation efforts in aquatic environment.

Keywords: Dissolved inorganic carbon; Endocrine disrupter; Metabolic pathway; Self-protection mechanism; Toxicity alleviation.