Ecotoxicity of phenol and cresols to aquatic organisms: A review.

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a type of wastewater posing large problems when discharged in the environment. Yet, due to its high nutrient content, POME may offer opportunities for algal growth and subsequent harvesting of high-value products. The marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum is a potential feedstock diatom for bioactive compounds such as the carotenoid fucoxanthin, which has been shown to have pharmaceutical applications. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the growth and fucoxanthin productivity of P. tricornutum grown on POME, as a function of light intensity, temperature, salinity, and nutrient enrichment. High-saturating irradiance (300 μmol photons m−2 s−1) levels at 25 °C showed highest growth rates but decreased the fucoxanthin productivity of P. tricornutum. Box-Behnken response surface methodology revealed that the optimum fucoxanthin productivity was influenced by temperature, salinity, and the addition of urea. Nutrient enrichment by phosphorus did not enhance cell density and fucoxanthin productivity, while urea addition was found to stimulate both. We conclude that POME wastewater, supplemented with urea, can be considered as the potential medium for P. tricornutum to replace commercial nutrients while producing high amounts of fucoxanthin.

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Environmental and nutrient conditions influence fucoxanthin productivity of the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum grown on palm oil mill effluent

Pretreatment of saline antibiotic wastewater using marine microalga.

The profound growth and development of industrial segments discharge enormous quantities of phenolic pollutants into the aquatic environment. Phenolic compounds are priority pollutants and their presence in the water system causes severe hazards to human health and many other living creatures. Thus, the removal of such toxic pollutants has gained a lot of attention in the past few decades. Biodegradation is a sustainable and efficient method for the removal of phenolic pollutants from the aquatic environment. Though microbial degradation of phenolic pollutants is well documented, enzymatic metabolic pathways, co-metabolic biodegradation, the use of sequential bioreactors, and the treatment of real-world industrial wastewater have yet to be adequately addressed. Therefore, the present review focuses on the assessment of biological removal of phenolic pollutants from the contaminated environment along with the various associated problems. In particular, the mechanism of ecotoxicity of phenolic pollutants on the living system, the functional enzymes and metabolic pathways involved in microbial degradation, including co-metabolic and co-culture degradation of phenolic pollutants, were elaborately reviewed. The use of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) in the treatment of recalcitrant wastewater has been addressed. The performances of various bioreactor systems are also compared. The prospects for resource recovery by photosynthetic bacteria that degrade phenolics are also discussed. 

A comprehensive review on eco-toxicity and biodegradation of phenolics: Recent progress and future outlook

The adverse effects of high concentration of phenolic compounds in wastewater on aquatic organisms are a major environmental issue. In recent years, treating organic wastewater by algae has attracted attention because this treatment is economic, efficient and eco-friendly. Here we review the use of algae in removing phenol and phenolic derivatives. We discuss phenolic wastewater treatment, mechanisms of adsorption and degradation, and effects of excessive phenols on algal cells.

Yufei Lin

Papers

Toxicological effects of phenol on four marine microalgae.