Introduction: In the era of intense industrialization and increasing demand for new materials and chemicals, there is growing concern over the inadequate control of their impacts on human health and the environment. Among the contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are bisphenol A and its analogues, known for their widespread use and hormonal activity. This presents significant challenges in developing methods for their removal and toxicity analysis. Purpose: The purpose of this master's thesis is to investigate the potential of the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris for the phycoremediation of bisphenol A analogues from the growth medium and to analyze their toxicity on the bacterium Vibrio fischeri. Methods: In this master's thesis, the research was divided into two parts: the first examined the ability of Chlorella vulgaris to remove a mixture of 17 bisphenol A analogues (22BPF, 24BPF, 44BPF, BPAF, BPE, BPC, BPBP, BPM, BPP, BPPH, BPB, BPZ, BP26DM, BPAP, BPC2, BPFL and BPS) from the growth medium, while the second analyzed the less researched toxicity effects of 13 of these analogues on the bacterium Vibrio fischeri, excluding isomers 2,2'-BPF, 2,4'-BPF, 4,4'-BPF and BPS. Results: The research confirmed the effectiveness of the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris in phycoremediation of bisphenol A analogues from the growth medium, with BPPH, BPP, BPM, BPC, and BPBP being most effectively removed among the 17 bisphenols. The half-maximal effective concentration calculations for five bisphenols (BPE, BPAP, BPC2, BPC, and BPB) indicated that BPE and BPC2 are the most toxic at 15- and 30-minute exposure intervals, indicating their high potential environmental risk. Bisphenol AP showed the least toxicity at the same exposure intervals. Discussion and conclusion: The results demonstrate the potential of Chlorella vulgaris for effectively removing a mixture of 17 bisphenol A analogues from aquatic environments (higher log Kow means higher removal), confirming its suitability for phytoremediation. Toxicity tests on Vibrio fischeri showed that BPA analogues become more toxic as bisphenol concentration increases, highlighting their potential threat to ecosystems and human health and emphasizing the need for further research to fully understand their ecological impacts.
|