Microcystins (MCs) are cyanobacterial heptapeptides, produced by several genera and species of cyanobacteria, which have been involved in poisoning of animals throughout the world and have also been implicated in human health problems. They are regarded as the most frequently occurring and widespread of the cyanotoxins, with more than 100 MC variants reported to date including the present study. The lake des Oiseaux is a shallow permanent freshwater lake located in north-eastern Algeria. It is an important natural reserve playing a major role for the migratory birds after the crossing of the Mediterranean Sea and from the Sahara desert. In recent years, possibly related to increased eutrophication of the lake, massive blooms of cyanobacteria identified as Microcystis spp. have been observed. A bloom sample collected in September 2013 was analyzed by the serine/threonine phosphatase PP2A inhibition assay and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to determine respectively, the total concentration of MCs and the different variants of these toxins present. The results revealed that the Microcystis spp. bloom sample contained microcystins of which 21 putatively congeners were detected. Among these, 12 known microcystins (MC-RR, MC-LR, MC-FR, MC-WR, MC-YR, MC-LA, MC-(H4)YR, MC-HilR, [Asp3]MC-RAba, and [Glu(OCH3)6]MC-LR) and two new congeners ([Asp3]MC-HarAba and [Glu(OCH3)6]MC-FR) were characterized, considering their molecular mass and the fragment ions produced by collision-induced dissociation of the [M+H]+ ions. MC-RR was the major (43.4%) in the bloom sample.

Understanding the processes that underlay an ecological disaster represents a major scientific challenge. Here, we investigated phytoplankton and zooplankton community changes before and during a fauna mass kill in a European protected wetland. Evidence on gradual development and collapse of harmful phytoplankton blooms, allowed us to delineate the biotic and abiotic interactions that led to this ecological disaster. Before the mass fauna kill, mixed blooms of known harmful cyanobacteria and the killer alga Prymnesium parvum altered biomass flow and minimized zooplankton resource use efficiency. These blooms collapsed under high nutrient concentrations and inhibitory ammonia levels, with low phytoplankton biomass leading to a dramatic drop in photosynthetic oxygenation and a shift to a heterotrophic ecosystem phase. Along with the phytoplankton collapse, extremely high numbers of red planktonic crustaceans-Daphnia magna, visible through satellite images, indicated low oxygen conditions as well as a decrease or absence of fish predation pressure. Our findings provide clear evidence that the mass episode of fish and birds kill resulted through severe changes in phytoplankton and zooplankton dynamics, and the alternation on key abiotic conditions. Our study highlights that plankton-related ecosystem functions mirror the accumulated heavy anthropogenic impacts on freshwaters and could reflect a failure in conservation and restoration measures.

Recalcitrant plastics in the environment are gradually fragmented into weathered debris distinguished from their original state by the integrative action of influencing factors, such as UV light, heating and physical abrasion. As new artificial carbon-source substrates in aquatic ecosystems, plastic products can be colonized by biofilms and even utilized by microorganisms. To investigate the influences of weathering of plastics on the colonized biofilms, freshwater samples from the Yangtze River (Nanjing, China) were collected for biofilm incubation. Based on the characterization of plastics and biofilms, the effects of plastic surface properties on biofilm characteristics were revealed by the analysis of partial least squares regression (PLSR). Roughness was the principal influencing factor, while rigidity had the opposite effect to it. 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing results indicated the high relative abundance of Cyanobacteria and rising proportion of harmful components (e.g., Flavobacterium) on photoaged polyethylene plastics. The microbial functional profiles (KEGG) predicted by Tax4Fun showed that the functions (e.g., membrane transport, energy metabolism, etc.) of biofilm on photoaged plastics were dissimilar with those on original ones. These findings suggested that the distinct microbial community and the adverse functional changes in biofilms on photoaged plastics potentially enhanced their environmental risks. On the other hand, 28-day cultured biofilms on original low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films were dominated by Exiguobacterium. The previously ignored potentials of this microorganism in rapidly accommodating to a hydrophobic substrate and its plastic degrading ability were both worthy of attention. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the weathering process of plastics in exploring the “plastisphere”, and to give further insights into the double-edged nature of the “plastisphere".

Metal-free single heteroatom (N, O, and B)-doped coconut-shell biochar (denoted as N-CSBC, O-CSBC, and B-CSBC, respectively) were fabricated in a one-step pyrolysis process to promote peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation for the elimination of sulfathiazole (STZ) from aquaculture water. B-CSBC exhibited remarkably high catalytic activity with 92% of STZ degradation in 30 min attributed to the presence of meso-/micro-pores and B-containing functional groups (including B–N, B–C, and B₂O₃ species). Radical quenching tests revealed SO₄•⁻, HO•, and ¹O₂ being the major electron acceptors contributing to STZ removal by PMS over B-CSBC catalyst. The B-CSBC catalyst has demonstrated high sustainability in multiple consecutive treatment cycles. High salinity and the presence of inorganic ions such as chloride, enhanced the performance of the sulfate radical-carbon-driven advanced oxidation processes (SR–CAOPs) as pretreatment strategy that significantly facilitated the removal of STZ from aquaculture water. Furthermore, a potential sulfonamide-degrading microorganism, Cylindrospermum_stagnale, belonging to the phylum Cyanobacteria, was the dominant functional bacteria according to the results of high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing conducted after the B-CSBC/PMS treatment. This study provides new insights into the SR–CAOP combined with bioprocesses for removing STZ from aqueous environments.

Although cyanobacteria blooms lead to an increase in methane (CH₄) emissions in eutrophic lakes have been intensively studied, the methane production pathways and driving mechanisms of the associated CH₄ emissions are still unclear. In this study, the hypereutrophic Lake Taihu, which has extreme cyanobacteria accumulation, was selected to test hypothesis of a potential methylotrophic CH₄ production pathway. Field observation displayed that the CH₄ emission flux from the area with cyanobacteria accumulation was 867.01 μg m⁻²·min⁻¹, much higher than the flux of 3.44 μg m⁻²·min⁻¹ in the non-cyanobacteria accumulation area. The corresponding abundance of methane-producing archaea (MPA) in the cyanobacteria-concentrated area was 77.33% higher than that in the non-concentrated area via RT-qPCR technologies. Synchronously, sediments from these areas were incubated in anaerobic bottles, and results exhibited the high CH₄ emission potential of the cyanobacteria concentrated area versus the non-concentrated area (1199.26 vs. 205.76 μmol/L) and more active biological processes (CO₂ emission, 2072.8 vs. −714.62 μmol/L). We also found evidence for the methylotrophic methane producing pathway, which contributed to the high CH₄ emission flux from the cyanobacteria accumulation area. Firstly, cyanobacteria decomposition provided the prerequisite of abundant methyl thioether substances, including DMS, DMDS, and DMTS. Results showed that the content of methyl thioethers increased with the biomass of cyanobacteria, and the released DMS, DMDS, and DMTS was up to 96.35, 3.22 and 13.61 μg/L, respectively, in the highly concentrated 25000 g/cm³ cyanobacteria treatment. Then, cyanobacteria decomposition created anaerobic microenvironments (DO 0.06 mg/L and Eh −304.8Mv) for methylotrophic methane production. Lastly, the relative abundance of Methanosarcinales was increased from 7.67% at the initial stage to 36.02% at the final stage within a sediment treatment with 10 mmol/L N(CH₃)₃. Quantitatively, the proportion of the methylotrophic methane production pathway was as high as 32.58%. This finding is crucial for accurately evaluating the methane emission flux, and evaluating future management strategies of eutrophic lakes.

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 atmosphere as a temporary habitat for airborne microbial communities is a valuable topic to explore, and it is through aerobiological studies that the diversity of biological particles and their release, emission, transport, deposition, and impact are assessed. Specific microorganisms are involved in meteorological processes, and phytosanitary and public health concerns. Airborne microbial composition is related to factors such as geographic region and weather conditions.In this study a metagenomic approach was used to determine the composition of bacterial and fungal communities in the air of two different land-use areas (urban area and semi-rural area), during dry and rainy seasons in Mexico City. Air sampling was carried out with a Hirst-type spore trap, collecting the samples simultaneously in both study areas. Forty-two bioaerosol samples were collected, and the DNA obtained was sequenced using Next-Generation Sequencing. The results indicated that the bacterial communities were represented mainly by the phyla Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria, and the fungal communities by the phyla Ascomycota followed by Basidiomycota. The evident changes in microbial composition were related more to seasonality than to locality, since both UA and SRA showed a high degree of urbanization, despite some differences in land use. Continuous monitoring of atmospheric bioaerosols is essential to determine the influence of meteorological factors on the composition of the aerial microbiota.

Atrazine contamination is of great concern due to its widespread occurrence in shallow lakes. Here, the distribution and degradation of atrazine in acidic and alkaline lake systems were investigated. Meanwhile, the bacterial communities in different sediments and the effects of environmental factors on atrazine-degrading bacteria were evaluated. In the lake systems without plants, atrazine levels in sediment interstitial water reached peak concentrations on the 4th d. More than 90% of atrazine was then degraded in all sediment interstitial water by day 30. Meanwhile, the degradation rate of atrazine in alkaline sediments was faster than that in acidic sediments. Values of hydroxylated metabolites in the acidic lake sediments tended to be greater. Moreover, the amounts of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicute, Nitrospinae, Aminicenantes, Ignavibacteriae and Saccharibacteria in acidic Tangxunhu Lake sediments were significantly different from alkaline Honghu Lake sediments, while the amounts of Cyanobacteria and Saccharibacteria in sediments treated with atrazine were significantly greater than those in sediments without atrazine (P < 0.05). Notably, pH was the most relevant environmental factor in the quantitative variation of atrazine-degrading bacteria, including in Clostridium-sensu-stricto, Pseudomonas, Comamonas and Rhodobacter. The Mantel test results indicated that the degradation of atrazine in different sediments was mainly affected by the sediment physicochemical properties rather than by the addition of atrazine and the cultivation of hydrophytes.

Most aquatic systems show characteristic seasonal fluctuations in the total nutrient pool supporting primary productivity. The nutrient dynamics essentially exacerbate critical demand for the counterpart micronutrients towards achieving ecosystem equilibrium. Herein, the phytoplankton demand for iron (Fe) uptake under high concentration of nitrate-nitrogen during spring in Xiangxi Bay, China, was studied. Our result confirmed that significant Fe concentrations (P = 0.01) in both autumn (0.62 ± 0.02 mgL⁻¹) and winter (0.06 ± 0.03 mgL⁻¹) relative to spring (0.004 ± 0.01 mgL⁻¹) are linked to the low NO₃⁻N paradigms during autumn and winter. As NO₃⁻N showed a sharp increase in spring, a dramatic reduction in the Fe pool was observed in the entire tributary, driving the system to a critical Fe limited condition. Bioassay study involving Fe additions both alone and in combinations led to maximum growth stimulation with biomass as chla (16.44 ± 0.82 μgL⁻¹) and phytoplankton cell density (6.75 × 10⁶ cellsL⁻¹) which differed significantly (P = 0.03) with the control. Further, the study demonstrated that Fe additions triggered biomass productions which increased linearly with cell densities. The P alone addition caused biomass production (15.26 ± 2.51 μgL⁻¹) greater than both NO₃⁻N (9.15 ± 0.66 μgL⁻¹) and NH₄⁺N (13.65 ± 1.68 μgL⁻¹) separate additions but reported a low aggregate cell density (3.18 × 10⁶ cellsL⁻¹). This indicates that nutrient and taxonomic characteristics e.g., high cell pigment contents rather than just the cell bio-volume also determine biomass. The Bacilliarophyta, Chlorophyta, and Cryptophyta with the total extinction of Cyanophyta characterized the bloom in spring. The anthropogenic NO₃⁻N input into XXB would have driven to higher NO₃⁻N than NH₄⁺N situation, and incapacitated the Cyanophyta that preferentially utilize NH₄⁺N. Our study provides a useful report for incorporation into the monitoring programs for prudent management of phytoplankton bloom and pollution across the eutrophic systems.

This study investigated bacterial diversities in surface water and sediment of the East Lake located in Wuhan, China. Bacterial community of lake water was mainly composed of Proteobacteria (31.1%), Actinobacteria (25.0%), Bacteroidetes (18.6%), Cyanobacteria (18.9%), Planctomycetes (2.4%) and Verrucomicrobia (1.4%), while more abundant and richer bacterial community was found in the sediments, e.g. 46.1% for Proteobacteria, 10.1% for Bacteroidetes, 8.7% for Chloroflexi, 8.4% for Acidobacteria, 5.0% for Cyanobacteria, 3.6% for Firmicutes, 3.1% for Planctomycetes, 2.8% for Actinobacteria and 2.3% for Nitrospirae. The decreased bacterial community richness and abundance was found in poor-quality water. Moreover, Bacterial Eutrophic Index (BEI) was firstly put forward to quantitatively describe the water quality of a freshwater ecosystem, which was defined as the ratio of abundance of Cyanobacteria and Actinobacteria in water. It was demonstrated BEI was well correlated to Carlson's Trophic State Index (TSI) (Spearman's ρ = 0.848, p < 0.01). The average TSI and BEI were determined to be 64 and 0.81, suggesting that East Lake could be classified as a medium eutrophic level.