Effect of Laponite Nanoparticles on Growth Characteristics and Chlorophyll Content of Chlorella sp

Siddique, Shumsun Nahar; Khatiwada, Janak Raj; Shrestha, Sarita; Chio, Chonlong; Chen, Xuatong; Mohamedelhassan, Eltayeb; Deng, Jian; Qin, Wensheng

Effect of Laponite Nanoparticles on Growth Characteristics and Chlorophyll Content of Chlorella sp

2022

Laponite nanoparticles have been proposed for soil densification to reduce the negative impacts of seismic hazards. However, the effects of laponite on the aquatic ecosystem are lacking. In this study, different concentrations (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5%) of laponite were used to investigate the growth and total chlorophyll content of microalgae: Chlorella sp. This study examined the potential toxic effects of laponite on the growth characteristics of freshwater green algae Chlorella sp. isolated from northern Ontario. The experiments were carried out in a 500-ml glass flask with 300 ml working volume and placed under white fluorescent lights for 16 h: 8 h day-night cultivation cycle in a constant orbital shaker. The results revealed that the lower concentration of laponite can enhance microalgae growth, while the higher laponite concentration had a growth inhibitory effect. The total chlorophyll content increased by 33% at 0.1% treatment group than that of the control group. Based on the SEM images, aggregation of microalgae was significantly noticeable at the lower concentration of laponite (0.1% treatment) whereas, in the higher laponite concentration (0.4 and 0.5% treatment), algal cells were embedded in laponite gel and also noticed some physical impairment.

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