Chlorinated polyfluorinated ether sulfonate (Cl-PFESA) is a novel alternative compound for perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), with its environmental risk not well known. The bioaccumulation and toxic effects of Cl-PFESA in the freshwater alga is crucial for the understanding of its potential hazards to the aquatic environment. Scenedesmus obliquus was exposed to Cl-PFESA at ng L⁻¹ to mg L⁻¹, with the exposure regime beginning at the environmentally relevant level. The total log BAF of Cl-PFESA in S. obliquus was 4.66, higher than the reported log BAF of PFOS in the freshwater plankton (2.2–3.2). Cl-PFESA adsorbed to the cell surface accounted for 33.5–68.3% of the total concentrations. The IC50 of Cl-PFESA to algal growth was estimated to be 40.3 mg L⁻¹. Significant changes in algal growth rate and chlorophyll a/b contents were observed at 11.6 mg L⁻¹ and 13.4 mg L⁻¹ of Cl-PFESA, respectively. The sample cell membrane permeability, measured by the fluorescein diacetate hydrolyzation, was increased by Cl-PFESA at 5.42 mg L⁻¹. The mitochondrial membrane potential, measured by Rh123 staining, was also increased, indicating the hyperpolarization induced by Cl-PFESA. The increasing ROS and MDA contents, along with the enhanced SOD, CAT activity, and GSH contents, suggested that Cl-PFESA caused oxidative damage in the algal cells. It is less possible that current Cl-PFESA pollution in surface water posed obvious toxic effects on the green algae. However, the bioaccumulation of Cl-PFESA in algae would contribute to its biomagnification in the aquatic food chain and its effects on membrane property could potentially increase the accessibility and toxicity of other coexisting pollutants.

In this study, we investigated the bioaccumulation and elimination of 14C-labeled BPA by the green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa and the subsequent transfer of 14C-BPA residues from the contaminated alga to the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. After 10 days of BPA exposure, the algal cells accumulated 15% of the initial radioactivity from the medium, with 71% of the accumulated radioactivity occurring in the form of non-extractable bound residues. An approximate steady state of the accumulation of the 14C-BPA residues in the algae was reached after about 4 days of exposure. The bioconcentration factor of total radioactivity in the algae was 106 mL (g dry weight)−1 at steady state. During the elimination phase, only the extractable residues were released from the algae into the water whereas the bound residues, following their ingestion by the rotifers, were converted to extractable forms and then also released. Furthermore, our results demonstrated the biomagnification of BPA-related residues in the food chain between algae and rotifers. The trophic transfer of these BPA-derived residues from the algae to rotifers and thus the environmental hazard may posed by this pathway, because of subsequent effects on the food chain.

Scientifically sound risk assessment strategies and derivations of environmental quality standards for metals present in freshwater environments are currently hampered by insufficient chronic toxicity data collected from natural ecosystems, as well as inadequate information on metal speciation. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of freshwater containing multiple metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) on the chronic toxicity (72h) to the alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata and compare the observed toxicity results to the total and free metal concentration of the samples. Based on the information obtained herein, an additive inhibitory free multi-metal ion concentration index, calculated as the sum of the equivalent toxicities to the free metal ion concentration of each sample, was developed. The proposed index was well correlated to the observed chronic toxicity results, indicating that the concentration addition, when expressed as the free-ion activity, can be considered a reliable indicator for the evaluation of ecological risk assessments for natural waters containing multiple metals.

In this study, we treated harmful Microcystis aeruginosa cyanobacteria using chitosan-modified nanobubbles. The chitosan-modified nanobubbles (255 ± 19 nm) presented a positive zeta potential (15.36 ± 1.17 mV) and generated significantly (p < 0.05) more hydroxyl radicals than the negatively charged nanobubbles (−20.68 ± 1.11 mV). Therefore, the interaction between the positively charged chitosan-modified nanobubbles and negatively charged M. aeruginosa (−34.81 ± 1.79 mV) was favored. The chitosan-modified nanobubble treatment (2.20 × 10⁸ particles mL⁻¹) inactivated 73.16% ± 2.23% of M. aeruginosa (2.00 × 10⁶ cells mL⁻¹) for 24 h without causing significant cell lysis (≤0.25%) and completely inhibited the acute toxicity of M. aeruginosa toward Daphnia magna. The inactivation was correlated (r² = 0.97) with the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in M. aeruginosa. These findings indicated that the hydroxyl radicals generated by the chitosan-modified nanobubbles disrupted cell membrane integrity and enhanced oxidative stress (ROS formation), thereby inactivating M. aeruginosa. Moreover, the penetration of the chitosan-modified nanobubbles and cell alterations in M. aeruginosa were visually confirmed. Our results suggested that the chitosan-modified nanobubble treatment is an eco-friendly method for controlling harmful algae. However, further studies are required for expanding its practical applications.

The ballast waters from ships pose a major threat to oceans, notably because of the spread of microorganisms. The present study evaluates the techno-economic feasibility of implementing the membrane process to remove microalgae from seawater to be ballasted in a single step during planktonic bloom. The optimal conditions for the microfiltration of complex and reproducible synthetic seawater are a permeate flux and specific filtered volume of 100L.h−1.m−2 and 75L.m−2.cycle−1, respectively. Recovery of the membrane process represents about 76.6% and 62.7% of the annual cost for a cruise ship (5400 passengers) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier (75,000m3 of liquid natural gas), followed by the membrane replacement cost (13.4% and 21.9%, respectively). The treatment costs are competitive with conventional treatments, even when the membrane process is more feasible for cruise ships due to its smaller capital cost and footprint.

In order to increased the amount of water in Sjenica water reservoir (because of higher production of electric energy by hydroelectrical power plant), stagnant waters of Pester field were irrigated to Vapa river and Sjenica lake. Former swamp areas and theirs life communities, represented specific biological filter in Pester high, a kind of natural lagoons, where big amounts of polluted water with nutrients were spent a processed (especially salts of P and N) were characteristic for exact area because of intensive cattle production. After the irrigation on Pester field, raw, polluted water with the large amount of nutrients by Vapa river get to the Sjenica water reservoir where they represented main cause of eutrophication and degradation of water quality in this aquatorium. Heterogenic and numerous algal association in canal of the Pester field is nearly leftover of previous specific algological flora which testifies the presence of species Chaetophora incrassata Hazen (new habitat in Serbia), the first class water indicator.

In the period October 2001 through November 2002 in six series parallely with physico-chemical and hydrobiological analyses, the content of photosynthetic pigments was determined in algae in the region of flow-through reservoirs of "Djerdap 1" and "Djerdap 2" on the profiles of Smederevo, Ram, Veliko Gradista, Donji Milanovac, Tekija, Kladovo and Radujevac. The samples were taken by a pump from the river midstream at the depth of 1-0 m (composite sample), while in the vegetation period April, June and September, the samples were taken at the depth of 5 m. The peak concentration of chlorophyll-a, the biological indicator of trophic condition, was recorded in the month of April in the Smederevo profile (30.2 mg/cubic meter) at the depth of 1-0 m. The lowest values of chlorophyll-a in all studied cycles were recorded in the Radujevac profile (below the dams) with the mean annual value of 1.8 mg/cubic meter. Chlorophyll-c occurs as the subdominant photosynthetic pigment. Values of chlorophyll-c were higher than chlorophyll-a in the month of June on the Donji Milanovac profile in the analysed sample taken at the depth of 5 m. Higher values of chlorophyll-b were recorded in the course of the vegetation period in the month of June on the profiles of Smederevo, Ram, Veliko Gradiste and Donji Milanovac at the depth of 1-0 m.

During the period February 1999 - February 2000 samples of water taken monthly from the area before the outflow of river Crn Drim from the Lake Ohrid, in purpose of qualitative and quantitative investigation of phytoplankton community. During the period of investigation, the phytoplankton community was characterized by forms of Cyanophyta, Bacillariophyta, Chlorophyta, Chrysophyta, Pyrrophyta and Euglenophyta. Qualitative analysis indicated that algae of the division Chlorophyta and Bacillariophyta are dominant in the phytoplankton, while the results of the qualitative analysis showed that forms of Bacillariophyta are dominant. Seasonal dynamics of phytoplankton is characterized by autumnal and winter domination of Bacillariophyta, spring maximum of Chrysophyta and summer domination of Pyrrophyta. The total number of algae varied between 1500-95,700 ind/l in August and February 2000, respectively.

The puddles Slatina and Pecena Slatina are the old meanders of the river Tamis. These ecosystems are periodicity fill with moderate salt and high alkaline water. The paper gives a review of qualitative and quantitative analysis of the algal compositions. Cyanoprokaryota and Euglenophyta are more common. All investigated parameters like compositions of lagal communities, their abundace, biomass and chlorphyll-a showed a high level of nature eutriphication in these ecosystems.

In this paper the results of the application of WQI method on Vojvodina main rivers and canals are shown. There were investigated 41 localities, from April 2002 to May 2003. There was observed high degree of correlation between the WQI values and the qualitative composition of the desmid community. Exceptions to that rule were noticed, since that WQI is not sufficient parameter of the water quality.