A review on the diverse interactions between microalgae and nanomaterials: Growth variation, photosynthetic performance and toxicity

Zhi Lin Lau; Sze Shin Low; Ejikeme Raphael Ezeigwe; Kit Wayne Chew; Wai Siong Chai; Amit Bhatnagar; Yee Jiun Yap; Pau Loke Show

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127048

A review on the diverse interactions between microalgae and nanomaterials: Growth variation, photosynthetic performance and toxicity

Bioresour Technol. 2022 May:351:127048. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127048. Epub 2022 Mar 23.

Authors

Zhi Lin Lau¹, Sze Shin Low², Ejikeme Raphael Ezeigwe³, Kit Wayne Chew⁴, Wai Siong Chai⁵, Amit Bhatnagar⁶, Yee Jiun Yap⁷, Pau Loke Show⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
² Research Centre of Life Science and Healthcare, China Beacons Institute, University of Nottingham Ningbo China, 199 Taikang East Road, Ningbo 315100, Zhejiang, PR China.
³ Institute for Sustainable Energy/College of Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, PR China; Zhaoqing Leoch Battery Technology Co. Ltd., 518000 Guangdong, PR China.
⁴ School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia, Jalan Sunsuria, Bandar Sunsuria, 43900 Sepang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
⁵ School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, PR China; School of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
⁶ Department of Separation Science, LUT School of Engineering Science, LUT University, Sammonkatu 12, FI-50130 Mikkeli, Finland.
⁷ School of Mathematical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
⁸ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Electronic address: showpauloke@gmail.com.

PMID: 35337989
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127048

Abstract

Vast improvements in nanotechnology have led to the wide usage of nanomaterials (NMs) in daily products. This study reviews the interactions between NMs and microalgae in terms of impacts on growth and photosynthetic efficiency, and their toxicity on microalgae. All types of NMs such as carbon-based NMs (CNMs), metal oxide-based NMs (MONMs) and noble metal-based NMs (NMNMs) improve microalgal growth and photosynthetic efficiency at low concentration, typically ranging between 1 and 15 mg/L depending on the type of NMs, due to hormetic responses by microalgae. Higher concentrations of NMs have been found to reduce photosynthetic efficiency and subsequent growth inhibition of microalgae. MONMs-microalgae and NMNMs-microalgae interactions focus on membrane alteration, whereas carbon-based NMs-microalgae focus more on shading effect. The toxicity of each type of NMs on microalgae is in the order rGO > GO > MG > CNT for carbon-based NMs, ZnO > TiO₂ > CuO > Fe₂O₃ for MONMs and Ag > Au > Pt for NMNMs. Incorporation of NMs in microalgae are seen to have promising future on producing higher microalgae yield with increased economic efficiency.

Keywords: Growth inhibition; Hormetic responses; Microalgae; Nanomaterials.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Carbon / pharmacology
Microalgae*
Nanostructures* / toxicity
Oxides
Photosynthesis

Substances

Oxides
Carbon