Abstract
Microcystin (MC), a hepatotoxin that is associated with cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater lakes, threatens the quality of drinking water resources. Biodegradation of MC using biofiltration is emerging as a cost-effective solution for drinking water treatment. This study reports isolation of five MC-degrading microbial consortia and investigation of their community structure and kinetics in the presence or absence of a readily-bioavailable organic carbon source. The results indicated that the presence of a bioavailable organic carbon source caused: (1) the proliferation of community members previously unobserved in each consortium cultured without ethanol; (2) a shift in abundance of representative taxa; (3) a fluctuation in genera affiliated with MC-biodegradation; and, (4) a unique response in simulated diversity among consortia. These changes to each microbial consortium were paralleled by a significant decline in MC degradation kinetics. Overall, this study highlights the importance of integrating environmental conditions into the design and operation of biofiltration systems for MC biodegradation.
Highlights
Harmful cyanobacterial blooms have increased in both frequency and severity worldwide as a result of climate change, population growth, and rapid urbanization [1]
The shape of the MC-LR degradation curves was nearly identical for each isolated consortium across three experimental replicates, indicating that the degradation kinetics were consistent and repeatable
This trend was apparent for all experimental replicates and was it not considered an error in measurements
Summary
Harmful cyanobacterial blooms have increased in both frequency and severity worldwide as a result of climate change, population growth, and rapid urbanization [1]. These blooms are termed “harmful” in that many cyanobacteria are responsible for the production and release of toxins that are harmful to humans and existing aquatic ecosystems [2]. Approximately 100 structural congeners have been identified, MC-LR (L and R standing for Leucine and Arginine, respectively, for two of the variable amino acids in the cyclical structure) is the most common and toxic MC [4,5]. Due to its acute toxicity, both the WHO (World Health Organization) and US EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) have adopted a guideline of 1 μg/L of dissolved MC for drinking water [5]
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