ABSTRACT
Arsenic (As) pollution and toxicity in the environment is a serious health concern affecting the millions of individuals health worldwide. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) synthesized by microalgae are important metabolites in the “water-algae” interface and have good application prospects in the field of As wastewater treatment. In this study, the bioaccumulation and transformation of As in model green microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii with and without EPS on cells were elaborated. The total accumulation and adsorption of As were enhanced and absorption was decreased in intact EPS cells compared to EPS removed cells. Oxidation-reduction of As species were higher in cells with EPS than those of EPS removed, implying that EPS have significant role for the environmental fate and behavior of As and could be potential biosorbent in As remediation by algae-based biotechnologies.
