Researchers at the University of Porto’s Interdisciplinary Center for Marine and Environmental Studies (CIIMAR) show that the presence of microplastics in water can “significantly” affect the growth and production of microalgae used in industry.
In a study published in the journal Science of The Total Environment, researchers from CIIMAR and the University of Madeira show that the presence of microplastics in water “can significantly affect the production of microalgae biomass at an industrial level.”
Although the impact varies depending on the type of microalgae, all species analyzed in the study “suffered significant losses” in biomass production.
Microalgae are important organisms for the balance of the environment and ecosystems, as well as for various industries that use them as raw materials.
Ivana Mendonsa’s master’s degree research aimed to investigate how the presence of microplastics in water affects the biomass production of various types of microalgae used in industry.
“All analyzed species suffered significant losses in the production of microplastics,” researcher and study coordinator Nereida Cordeiro said in a statement.
According to the investigation, the “damage” is due to a reduction in the weight or size of the cells, “two aspects of great importance for the profitability of the industrial processes in which they are used.”
“The study shows that reductions in biomass production could be as high as 50%, which could threaten the economic viability of the sector,” the center emphasizes, also noting that the presence of microplastics can alter the metabolic pathways of microalgae, “promoting or inhibiting the production of certain industrial products.”
The results of the study “are an important warning to society at large about the dangers posed by microplastics,” CIIMAR said in a statement.
“This is an issue that deserves attention and immediate action to minimize potential damage,” adds Nereida Cordeiro, adding that given these “alarming” results, “innovative and environmentally friendly methods to address water pollution are urgently needed.”
In this sense, researchers are working on methods for disinfecting industrial water that do not compromise the economic viability of industries that use microalgae as a raw material.
“But laboratory studies alone are not enough,” says CIIMAR, advocating the need to “expand research” to industrial scale in order to “validate” the results.
“We need to understand the molecular mechanisms that lead to individual cell weight loss and to assess how these effects work on an industrial scale,” adds Nereida Cordeiro.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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