Freshwater Cyanobacteria Global Impacts and New Challenges

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2024) | Viewed by 4026

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Matosinhos, Portugal
Interests: cyanobacteria; cyanotoxins; environment; toxicology; natural products
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Assistant Guest Editor
IPMA—Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere I.P., Algés, Portugal, and CIIMAR—Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Matosinhos, Portugal
Interests: microalgae; cyanobacteria; harmful algal blooms (HABs); non-indigenous species; phylogeny; toxin gene clusters; genomes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Freshwater cyanobacteria are cosmopolitan microorganisms. As cyanotoxins producers their occurrence, particularly on toxic forms, can impair ecosystems safety, human health or water quality. Freshwater resources such as lakes, lagoons, ponds, rivers and reservoirs on their multiple demands (drinking, water provision, irrigation, recreational and sustainable) carry a need on continuous surveillance on freshwater cyanobacteria. On these on cyanotoxins such as microcystins, cylindrospermopsins, anatoxins and saxitoxins are a persistent problem on freshwater ecosystems demanding a constant endeavour since their occurrence can result overall on intoxication episodes that can lead on serious illnesses resulting on death on humans, wildlife or even cattle. Likewise bloom formation (CyanoHABs) usually a result of anthropogenic activities, increased eutrophication and rise on temperature are on need on report on describing bloom-forming cyanobacteria species, toxin amounts, related cyanotoxins-producing taxa as well as on climate change impacts. Recently new toxin-driven cyanobacteria cyanotoxins were reported on the US and consequently its global search is imperative on secure ecosystems, promote human health, foster water quality and water management practices without overlooking the sustainability of freshwater ecosystems. Studies on new toxic cyanobacteria toxin-production can contribute on improving our understanding on freshwater cyanobacteria toxin impacts and on in deep global search. On this Special Issue studies on all sciences are most welcomed aiming on fostering global search on toxic cyanobacteria and on their cyanotoxins towards improvement on regulations. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

  • Toxic cyanobacteria diversity;
  • Toxin production on undescribed taxa;
  • New cyanotoxins;
  • Occurrence on known cyanotoxins;
  • Toxin production on known taxa;
  • Public health impairment;
  • Water quality impairment;
  • Toxin impacts on sustainable ecosystems;

Climate change impacts on CyanoHABs. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Cristiana Moreira
Dr. Catarina I. Churro
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • freshwater ecosystems
  • toxic cyanobacteria
  • cyanohabs
  • cyanotoxins
  • public health
  • water quality

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 6036 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Wastewater Treatment with Aerobic Granular Sludge: Impacts of Tetracycline Pressure on Microbial Dynamics and Structural Stability
by Shengyan Zheng, Bichen Lou, Zhonghui Yang, Dong Ou and Ning Ai
Microorganisms 2024, 12(9), 1913; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12091913 - 20 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1526
Abstract
This study evaluated the efficiency of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) technology in treating wastewater contaminated with tetracycline (TC), a common antibiotic. AGS was cultivated under a TC pressure gradient ranging from 5 mg/L to 15 mg/L and compared with conventional wastewater conditions. The [...] Read more.
This study evaluated the efficiency of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) technology in treating wastewater contaminated with tetracycline (TC), a common antibiotic. AGS was cultivated under a TC pressure gradient ranging from 5 mg/L to 15 mg/L and compared with conventional wastewater conditions. The results demonstrated that AGS achieved high removal efficiencies and exhibited robust sedimentation performance, with significant differences in average particle sizes observed under both conditions (618.6 μm in TC conditions vs. 456.4 μm in conventional conditions). Importantly, exposure to TC was found to alter the composition and production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), thereby enhancing the structural integrity and functional stability of the AGS. Additionally, the selective pressure of TC induced shifts in the microbial community composition; Rhodanobacter played a crucial role in EPS production and biological aggregation, enhancing the structural integrity and metabolic stability of AGS, while Candida tropicalis demonstrated remarkable resilience and efficiency in nutrient removal under stressful environmental conditions. These findings underscore the potential of AGS technology as a promising solution for advancing wastewater treatment methods, thus contributing to environmental protection and sustainability amid growing concerns over antibiotic contamination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Freshwater Cyanobacteria Global Impacts and New Challenges)
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15 pages, 3895 KiB  
Article
First Polyphasic Study of Cheffia Reservoir (Algeria) Cyanobacteria Isolates Reveals Toxic Picocyanobacteria Genotype
by Lamia Benredjem, João Morais, Guilherme Scotta Hentschke, Akila Abdi, Hajira Berredjem and Vitor Vasconcelos
Microorganisms 2023, 11(11), 2664; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11112664 - 30 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1694
Abstract
Monitoring water supply requires, among other quality indicators, the identification of the cyanobacteria community and taking into account their potential impact in terms of water quality. In this work, cyanobacteria strains were isolated from the Cheffia Reservoir and identified based on morphological features, [...] Read more.
Monitoring water supply requires, among other quality indicators, the identification of the cyanobacteria community and taking into account their potential impact in terms of water quality. In this work, cyanobacteria strains were isolated from the Cheffia Reservoir and identified based on morphological features, the 16S rRNA gene, phylogenetic analysis, and toxin production by polymerase chain reaction PCR screening of the genes involved in the biosynthesis of cyanotoxins (mcyA, mcyE, sxtA, sxtG, sxtI, cyrJ, and anaC). Thirteen strains representing six different genera: Aphanothece, Microcystis, Geitlerinema, Lyngbya, Microcoleus, and Pseudanabaena were obtained. The results demonstrated the importance of morphological features in determining the genus or the species when incongruence between the morphological and phylogenetic analysis occurs and only the utility of the 16S rRNA gene in determining higher taxonomic levels. The phylogenetic analysis confirmed the polyphyly of cyanobacteria for the Microcystis and Oscillatoriales genera. Unexpectedly, Aphanothece sp. CR 11 had the genetic potential to produce microcystins. Our study gives new insight into species with picoplanktonic (or small) cell size and potentially toxic genotypes in this ecosystem. Thus, conventional water treatment methods in this ecosystem have to be adapted, indicating the requirement for pre-treatment methods that can effectively eliminate picocyanobacteria while preserving cell integrity to prevent toxin release. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Freshwater Cyanobacteria Global Impacts and New Challenges)
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