Carbamazepine toxicity and its co-metabolic removal by the cyanobacteria Spirulina platensis

Abstract Bioremediation of pharmaceutical-contaminated wastewater using microalgae has attracted increasing attention. Cyanobacteria, which are important prokaryotic microalgae, are widely distributed in different water environments, and have the advantages of simple culture and a fast growth rate. However, studies on either the toxicity of pharmaceutical contaminants (PhCs) to cyanobacteria or the removal of PhCs by cyanobacteria are scarce. In this study, carbamazepine (CBZ) and Spirulina platensis were selected as model PhCs and cyanobacteria, respectively. CBZ (>1 mg/L) had toxicity effects on S. platensis, showing maximal growth inhibition (34.0%) at 100 mg/L after 10 days of cultivation. At CBZ