Evaluation of the antioxidative response of diatoms grown on emerging steroidal contaminants

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment Vol. 195; no. 7; p. 820
• Main Authors: Singh, Pankaj Kumar, Bhattacharjya, Raya, Lakshmi, N Jaya, Thakur, Indu Shekhar, Tiwari, Archana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.07.2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: 17β-Estradiol; Algae; Antioxidants - metabolism; Aquatic organisms; Ascorbate Peroxidases - metabolism; Ascorbic acid; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Bacillariophyceae; Biodegradation; Carbon fixation; Catalase; Catalase - metabolism; Contaminants; Diatoms; Diatoms - metabolism; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Effluents; Endocrine disruptors; Environment; Environmental indicators; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental science; Environmental stress; Enzymes; Estrogens; Humans; Hydrogen Peroxide; L-Ascorbate peroxidase; Laboratories; Marine microorganisms; Metabolism; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Operating costs; Oxidative Stress; Peroxidase; Personal grooming; Phytoplankton; Plankton; Pollutants; Scavenging; Sex hormones; Steroids; Superoxide dismutase; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; System effectiveness; Endocrine disruptors; Diatoms; Estradiol; Emerging contaminants; Antioxidative response
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11336-0

With increasing anthropic activities, a myriad of typical contaminants from industries, hospitals, and municipal discharges have been found which fail to be categorized under regulatory standards and are hence considered contaminants of “emerging concern”. Since these pollutants are not removed effectively even by the conventional treatment systems, they tend to inflict potential threats to both human and aquatic life. However, microalgae-mediated remediation strategies have recently gained worldwide importance owing to their role in carbon fixation, low operational cost, and production of high-value products. In this study, centric diatom Chaetoceros neogracilis was exposed to different concentrations of estradiol (E2)-induced synthetic media ranging from 0 to 2 mg L −1 , and its impact on the antioxidative system of algae was investigated. The results demonstrate that the nutrient stress caused a strong oxidative response elevating the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the 2 mg L −1 E2-treated diatom cultures. However, the specific activity of the H 2 O 2 radical scavenging enzymes like catalase (CAT) was inhibited by the E2 treatment, while that of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) remained comparable to the control (0 mg L −1 of E2). Thus, the study reveals the scope of diatoms as potential indicators of environmental stress even under the varying concentration of a single contaminant (E2).