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Soluble extracellular polymeric substances and microplastics: exposure-response and circular reuse for removal

2025-12Journal article Open access
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datacite.subject.fosCiências Naturais::Ciências da Terra e do Ambiente
dc.contributor.authorRodrigues, Filipa
dc.contributor.authorMendonça, Ivana
dc.contributor.authorFaria, Marisa
dc.contributor.authorGomes, Ricardo
dc.contributor.authorGómez Pinchetti, Juan L.
dc.contributor.authorFerreira, Artur
dc.contributor.authorCordeiro, Nereida
dc.contributor.authorcordeiro, nereida
dc.date.accessioned2025-12-16T14:40:59Z
dc.date.available2025-12-16T14:40:59Z
dc.date.issued2025-12
dc.description.abstractMicroplastics (MPs) are pervasive in aquatic systems, threatening ecosystems, human health, and microalgal production. Soluble extracellular polymeric substances (S-EPS) can agglomerate particles and aid removal. This study examines S-EPS from the cyanobacterium Cyanocohniella rudolphia (BEA 0786B) to (i) model and optimise S-EPS production, (ii) assess production in water contaminated with polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs), and (iii) test S EPS as a bioflocculant for PS-MPs removal. Response surface methodology (RSM) defined a cost-lean operating window and predicted an optimum S-EPS titre of 113 mg/L at 7 days using 10 g/L nitrogen, 0.98 g/L phosphorus, and a biomass-to-medium ratio of 1:6.87 (w/v). Cultures were challenged with PS-MPs (50 μg/L and 5 mg/L) under static or aerated conditions, and at both exponential and stationary phases, and showed stimulated S-EPS synthesis with increases of up to 34%, depending on hydrodynamics and growth stage. Purified S-EPS were evaluated as a bioflocculant at 2 g/L PS-MPs to probe robustness and rate-limiting mechanisms and to delineate a conservative operating window. Maximum removal of 82% was achieved in freshwater at pH 3.5 with Fe3+ 0.05% (w/w), 25 ◦C, S-EPS dose 400 mg/L (S-EPS:PS-MPs 1:5, w/w), and 60 min flocculation. Zeta potential trends and microscopy support charge neutralisation/bridging as the dominant mechanism. Compatible with standard coagulation/flocculation units, the approach links cost-lean, cultivation-derived S-EPS (typically dis carded) to their reuse as a low-additive pretreatment for algal-cultivation intake waters (freshwater/low salinity), reducing reliance on synthetic coagulants and added salinity/metal-sludge burdens. Overall, C. rudolphia is a promising S-EPS producer, whose production is enhanced by exposure to PS-MPs, and its S-EPS acts as an efficient, bio-based flocculant for PS-MPs. The results support process designs to safeguard microalgal operations and to mitigate microplastic pollution in water. This work integrates RSM-optimised S-EPS produc tion, environmental-level exposure-response, and a high-load removal benchmark, enabling circular, low additive, drop-in pretreatment compatible with standard coagulation/flocculation units.eng
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.144759
dc.identifier.issn0045-6535
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.13/7510
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.relationDeveloping Bioactive and Intelligent Biomaterials from Microalgae/Cyanobacteria for Sustainable Food Packaging
dc.relationLA/P/0101/2020
dc.relation2024.01262.BD
dc.relation2023.04389.BD
dc.relation2020.6615.BD
dc.relation.ispartofChemosphere
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectCyanocohniella rudolphia
dc.subjectyaSoluble extracellular polymeric substances
dc.subjectMicroplastics
dc.subjectPolystyrene
dc.subjectBioflocculation
dc.subjectCircular economy
dc.subject.
dc.subjectFaculdade de Ciências da Vida
dc.titleSoluble extracellular polymeric substances and microplastics: exposure-response and circular reuse for removaleng
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.awardTitleDeveloping Bioactive and Intelligent Biomaterials from Microalgae/Cyanobacteria for Sustainable Food Packaging
oaire.awardURIhttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.13/7508
oaire.citation.titleChemosphere
oaire.citation.volume393
oaire.versionhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
person.familyNamecordeiro
person.givenNamenereida
person.identifier1612636
person.identifier.ciencia-id521A-0F62-EA39
person.identifier.orcid0000-0001-6006-3415
person.identifier.ridO-2253-2019
person.identifier.scopus-author-id7004319456
relation.isAuthorOfPublication3d02b657-c48c-4f56-813a-1284b81960f3
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscovery3d02b657-c48c-4f56-813a-1284b81960f3
relation.isProjectOfPublication2d2f07a2-c170-48d5-a582-b4ffbbfae67c
relation.isProjectOfPublication.latestForDiscovery2d2f07a2-c170-48d5-a582-b4ffbbfae67c

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