Professional Documents
Culture Documents
BIOTECHNOLOGY
Unit iv
Algae in pollution as pollution indicators, eutrophication
agents and role in Bioremediation. Cyanobacterial and algal
toxins, allelopathic interactions, Algae in global warming
and environmental sustainability. Cyanobacteria and selected
microalgae in agriculture.
Submitted by:
Ankita Mishra
Algae as a Pollution Indicator
Ease of sampling
Dinobryon Pandorina
Scenedesmus
Anabaena Schroederia
Oscillatoria
Staurastrum
Aphanzinomenon Pediastrum
Cosmarium
Closterium Microcystis
Microsterias
Algae indicates water acidity…
• Water Acidity:
– Water acidity can be caused by acid forming
chemicals or acid rains
– Increase in the acidity of water initially causes
general increase in filamentous algae.
– High levels of water acidity due to pollution
results in decrease in planktonic algae in the
water body
Algae as PH indicator…
• PH alterations:
– Occurrence of different species of Diatoms can be
an indicator of PH level of the water.
• Heavy metals:
– Some algae like Cladophora and Stigeoclonium
absorb and accumulate many heavy metals from
the water.
– Thus the excessive growth of these algae in the
water indicates pollution due to heavy metals.
Algae and Oil pollution…
• Oil pollution:
– Excessive growth of algae like Duniella tertiolacta,
Skeletonema costatum, Cricosphaera carterae,
Amphidium carterae, Cyclotella cryptica and
Pavlova lutheri indicate oil pollution of water
bodies.
Algae as general health indicator of a water body…
• Removal of nutrients
• Removal of organic pollutants
• Removal of heavy metals
Wastewater Treatment:
cyanobacteria
One example of
conventional
wastewater
treatment process
Wastewater Treatment: Algae System
• Sodium alginate binds tightly to radioactive such substances as strontium,
calcium, barium, cadmium and radium.
• Cows have been fed sodium alginate, which binds to radioactive strontium 90,
causing it to pass out of the body without any of it getting absorbed. Animals
can consume radioactive materials if they have been dispersed into the
environment.
The maximum incident of 299 was recorded in 1976, but the incident has since
shown a clear decreasing trend, reaching about 100 per year in the late 1980s by
virtue of regulation by law, and this level has been maintained thereafter with the
level of nutrients supporting red tide occurrences. The “Law Concerning Special
Measures for Conservation of the Environment of the Seto Inland Sea” was
legislated in 1973 and industrial loading was decreased to half the level of 1972.
The important red tide organisms causing huge fishery damages by fish-kill are
Chattonella antiqua, C. marina, C. ovata and Heterosigma akashiwo
(Raphidophyceae), and Karenia mikimotoi and Cochlodinium polykrikoides
(Dinophyceae).
The maximum fishery damage (death of 14.2 million yellowtails) was
7.1 billion yen (about US $60 million) caused by C. antiqua in
Harima-Nada in 1972. In 1988, a novel red-tide dinoflagellate species
Heterocapsa circularisquama appeared for the first time, and has
repeatedly killed both natural and aquacultured bivalves, with the
highest damage of 3.9 billion yen to cultured oysters in Hiroshima
Bay in 1998.
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Blue green algae toxins
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Cyanobacterial Toxins
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Cyanobacterial Toxins
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Various toxins produced by cyanobacteria
Genus Toxins produced
Anabaena Anatoxins, Microcystins, Saxitoxins
Anabaenopsis Microcystins
Aphanizomenon Saxitoxins, Cylindrospermopsins
Cylindrospermopsis Cylindrospermopsins, Saxitoxins
Hapalosiphon Microcystins
Lyngbya Aplysiatoxins, Lyngbyatoxin a
Microcystis Microcystins
Nodularia Nodularin
Nostoc Microcystins
Phormidium (Oscillatoria) Anatoxin
Anatoxins, Aplysiatoxins, Microcystins,
Planktothrix (Oscillatoria)
Saxitoxins
Schizothrix Aplysiatoxins
Trichodesmium yet to be identified
Umezakia Cylindrospermopsin 29
Microcystins
Most commonly detected cyanobacterial toxin in fresh and brackish water
• Most well studied cyanobacteria for toxic effects
Water soluble, but does not readily cross cell membranes
Typically transported across cell membranes through special transporters
present in the liver
Approximately 70% of administered dose distributes to the liver
Highly toxic, low doses required for lethality, steep dose response curve
Liver is the target organ for toxic effects
Carcinogenicity
Not mutagenic
Some evidence that microcystins act as hepatic tumor promoters
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Microcystin -LR
Microcystin L-R: hepatotoxins
Produced by Microcystis aeruginosa
(an others blue-greens algal species)
Monocyclic heptapeptides
(L–amino acids; L=Leucine; R=arginine)
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Microcystin-LR
Microcystin-LR Structure
Structure
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Sources
Sources of
of Human
Human Exposure
Exposure
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Factors Affecting Bloom Formation & Toxin
Production / Persistence
Bloom Formation Toxin release
• Inorganic nutrients
• Water temperature
• pH level: 6-9 Persistence
• Daylight • Stable in water
• Turbidity • Resistance to pH extremes
• Turbulence • Heat resistant
• Water flow
Toxin production
• Environmental factors
• Temperature, light,
nitrogen levels, carbon
dioxide and/or pH
• Genetic differences
• Metabolic processes
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Factors Affecting Toxin Production
• Toxins are not secreted but released from cell
lysis (death)
• Older and senescing blooms tend to release toxins
as well as those treated with copper sulfate
• Temperature (18-25°C) and pH extremes increase
toxin content
• High phosphorous stimulates toxin production in
hepatotoxic strains
• Non nitrogen fixing species (Microcystis) produce
more toxins in nitrogen rich conditions
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Toxins Produced From Cyanobacteria
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Anabaena sp
• Anabaena sp. can produce several kinds of toxins. -
• Neurotoxic- Two different neurotoxins have been described.
Anatoxin-a
• A potent postsynaptic cholinergic nicotinic agonist, which causes a
depolarizing neuromuscular blockade.
• Produces staggering, paralysis, fasciculations (muscle twitching), gasping,
convulsions and death in animals
Anatoxin-a(s)
• Chemically unrelated to the first, acts as an inhibitor of cholinesterase
leading to a neuromuscular blockade.
• Both cause a "tetanus- like" muscle paralysis. induced toxicosis in
experimental animals may exhibit hypersalivation, tremors, fasciculations,
involuntary muscle movement, diarrhea, cyanosis (tongue and mouth
lining bluish) and death.
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Lipopolysaccharide
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Microcystin Hepatotoxins
• These hepatotoxins inhibit the protein phosphatasesinside
hepatocytes
• Affecting the maintenance of the cytoskeleton by disruption
the balance of phosphate groups on the cytoskeletal proteins
• Microcystin-LR does not readily cross cell membranes and
does not enter most tissues.
• It crosses the ileum through the multispecific organic ion
transport system and mainly enters hepatocytes, where it is
covalently bound to a 40000-dalton protein (protein
phosphatase 2A and possibly protein phosphatase 1)
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Routes of Exposure
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Algae in global warming and
environmental sustainability
Algae and Biodiesel
• Algae Biodiesel is a good replacement for
standard crop Biodiesels like soy and canola
• Up to 70% of algae biomass is usable oils
• Algae does not compete for land and space
with other agricultural crops
• Algae can survive in water of high salt content
and use water that was previously deemed
unusable
BIOFUEL
• A non-petroleum-based diesel fuel
consisting of long-
• chain alkyl (methyl, propyl or ethyl)
esters.
• Made by chemically-reacting lipids and
alcohol.
Algal biomass
• Is distinguished from the straight
vegetable oil (SVO) used as
• fuels in some converted diesel vehicles.
• Produced by transesterification of oil
Algal biofuel
Biofuel-why algae???
• Producing biodiesel from algae is most efficient way to make biodiesel fuel. The main advantages of
deriving biodiesel from algae oil include:
• rapid growth rates, a high per-acre yield (7 to 31 times greater than the next best crop – palm oil),
certain species of algae can be harvested daily,
• algae biofuel contains no sulphur,
• algae biofuel is non-toxic,
• algae biofuel is highly bio-degradable, and
• algae consume carbon dioxide as they grow, so they could be used to capture CO2 from power stations
and other industrial plant that would otherwise go into the atmosphere.
• In some cases, more than half of that mass consists of lipids or triacylglycerides—the same material
found in vegetable oils. These bio-oils can be used to produce such advanced biofuels as biodiesel, green
diesel, green gasoline, and green jet fuel.
• Micro-algae grows within all year and has short life cycle;
• Micro-algae the most fast-growing plant on Earth - grows in 100 times faster, than trees. Usually the
weight of micro-algae for a day is doubled;
• For micro-algae the readily available raw material is required: sunlight, water, carbon dioxide and
nutrients (Р and N);
• From micro-algae it is possible to receive natural products: pigments, fibers, enzymes, sugar, fats,
amino acids, vitamins.
• Depending on kinds of algae (exists more than 30.000 kinds) and conditions of its cultivation, the
chosen algae makes about 40-60 % of oil.
• Selection micro-algae grows in all environments. Even if the temperature of water makes - 2°С.
• Capable of utilizing high nutrients in waste water streams
Oil Yield
Gallons of Oil per Acre per Year
– Corn . . . . . . . 15
– Soybeans . . . .48
– Safflower. . . . . 83
– Sunflower . . . 102
– Rapeseed. . . 127
• In recent times, algae has found applications in controlling pollution. They act as
biofilters, and so are being used in the treatment of waste water to make make it
suitable for human use. Even some power plants also use algae to reduce the
carbon dioxide emissions, where carbon dioxide is poured into some tanks or ponds
in which algae are fed. In farmlands, they are used for capturing the run-off
fertilizers that can pollute the water bodies. Brown algae is a source of alginic acid,
which is used as a thickening, stabilizing and emulsifying agent in ice-creams, dairy
products, rubber, paint, shaving creams, adhesives and in the textile industry.
• Agar, a substance made from algae, is gelatinous in nature. It is an ingredient in many different
Japanese desserts.
• The Japanese red bean jelly, called Mizuyōkan, is made from agar, and is a very popular delicacy.
• Agar is commercially produced with the help of Gelidium amansii - a species of red algae.
• The greatest use of agar is in association with food preparation and in the pharmaceutical industry (as a
laxative, or as an inert carrier for drug products where slow release of the drug is required).
Agar is used as a stabilizer for emulsions, and as a constituent of cosmetic skin preparations, ointments,
and lotions. It is used in photographic film, shoe polish, dental impression molds, shaving soaps, hand
lotions, and in the tanning industry.
In food, agar is used as a substitute for gelatin, as an antidrying agent in breads and pastry, and also for
gelling and thickening purposes. It is used in the manufacture of processed cheese, mayonnaise,
puddings, creams, and jellies and in the manufacture of frozen dairy products.
• Algin is found in the cell wall of kelp along with cellulose. Kelp is harvested for this substance
which acts as an emulsifier and thickening agent used in many products.
• Emulsifiers allow for a stable and homogenous mixture of two liquids, which do not normally mix. .
• About half of the algin produced is used for making ice cream and other dairy products. The rest is
used in other products, including shaving cream, rubber, an paint.
• Algin is used as a stabiliser in ice-cream and salad dressings. In fruit pie fillings, the algin stops the
fruit pulp leaking into the pastry.
• It is also used as a foam stabiliser in beer, as well as in bakery products and pet food.
• Alginic Acid
• Another very useful form of algae is alginic acid. Alginic acid is a viscous, gum-like substance,
derived from algae. It is used as an additive in dehydrated products. It is also a very important
ingredient in the manufacturing of papers and textiles. As it possess most of the properties of gum,
it is also used in the water-proofing and fire-proofing industry. It is especially helpful in making
fabrics that are fire and water resistant. In the pharmaceutical industry, it is used in the
manufacture of Gaviscon, Asilone, Bisodol etc. It is used as a mold making material in life casting,
prosthetics and dentistry. Like most of the forms or products of algae, alginic acid is used
extensively in the food processing industry as an ingredient of soups and jellies.
CHALLENGES IN ALGACULTURE
Gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA): There are only two sources of GLA found; mother's milk
and spirulina, a blue-green algae. GLA is essential to the development and growth of
babies. Deficiency in nutrition reduces GLA in the mother's milk, which results in poor
baby health.
Chronic Disease Treatment: Algae is known to treat diabetes, anemia, liver disease,
ulcers, allergies, radiation and chemical poisoning. Its concentrated sugar helps to
stabilize blood sugar levels in people with high or low blood sugar.
Nutrients: Algae ensures a healthy nutrient level for people who diet, as well as people
who detoxify their bodies regularly. The amino acids present in algae are known to
influence neurotransmitters in the brain that control appetite.
Alkaline Food: A balanced diet consists 80% alkaline food and 20% acidic food. An
acidic body is vulnerable to diseases. Algae is considered as a natural source of alkaline
food.