Pollutant removal and toxic response mechanisms of freshwater microalgae Chlorella sorokiniana under exposure of tetrabromobisphenol A and cadmium

With the continuous increase of e-waste, more and more pollutants such as tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and bivalent cadmium ions (Cd(Ⅱ)) are often detected in the surface water. However, their combined toxicity to microalgae is still unclear. Therefore, this study comprehensively explored effects of TBBPA and Cd(Ⅱ) on freshwater microalgae Chlorella sorokiniana, in terms of growth, photosynthetic activity, biochemical characteristics and molecular level. Results showed that Cd(Ⅱ) below 1 mg/L could promote the growth of microalgae, while TBBPA with various dosages showed inhibitory effects. The coexistence of TBBPA and Cd(Ⅱ) had a significant effect on photosynthetic activity, enzyme activity and chlorophylls content. Simultaneously, the release of dissolved organic matters reduced the damage of pollutants to algae. Moreover, C. sorokiniana had a good removal effect on Cd(Ⅱ), and the removal efficiency could reach 72.83%. Interestingly, addition of Cd(Ⅱ) could enhance the removal effect of C. sorokiniana on TBBPA, and the highest removal reached 44.16%. Transcriptome analysis showed that C. sorokiniana had different responses to Cd(Ⅱ) and TBBPA stress, while both caused the regulation of protein synthesis-related genes. Additionally, exposure to Cd(II) upregulated DNA replication-related genes in microalgae, thereby promoting cell proliferation. This study provides insights into toxic mechanisms of TBBPA and Cd(Ⅱ) to microalgae together with their removal patterns, which offers a theoretical basis for further assessment of the actual risk of Cd(II) and TBBPA to aquatic organisms.