Combined toxicity of cyanotoxins and anthropogenic contaminants on Chlorella vulgaris: insights from single and binary mixture exposures.
5 affiliations
- 1CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies & Department of Biology, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal.
- 2CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research of the University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, Matosinhos, 4450-208, Portugal.
- 3CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies & Department of Biology, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal. [email protected].
- 4Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, Porto, 4169-007, Portugal.
- 5CESAM-Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies & Department of Biology, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193, Portugal. [email protected].
Abstract
Aquatic organisms in eutrophic brackish and freshwater systems are chronically exposed to natural and anthropogenic contaminants, including cyanotoxins, metals and pesticides, mainly driven by cyanobacterial blooms and human activities. However, the environmental risks posed by their combinations to the aquatic environment remain poorly understood. This study investigated the growth response of Chlorella vulgaris exposed to four single-chemical compounds (microcystin-LR, cylindrospermopsin, terbuthylazine, and cadmium) and five binary mixtures for 7 days. In single-chemical exposures, terbuthylazine was the most toxic to C. vulgaris, followed by cadmium, cylindrospermopsin and microcystin-LR. The obtained growth data were compared with concentration addition predictions based on individual toxicities using the MIXTOX tool, testing deviations for synergistic/antagonistic interactions, dose ratio and dose level dependencies. Mixture effects varied with composition and exposure time. Antagonism was the prevailing type of interaction between the chemical compounds after 4 days of exposure, while dose level dependency was the only deviation observed after 7 days. Regarding dose level dependency, synergism was observed at low doses of each chemical in three of the five tested binary mixtures. Time was an important factor in the change in the toxicity pattern. This synergistic effect poses a significant risk to aquatic organisms exposed simultaneously to cyanotoxins and anthropogenic contaminants in the environment.
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BibTeX
@article{pinheiro2026combined,
title = {{Combined toxicity of cyanotoxins and anthropogenic contaminants on Chlorella vulgaris: insights from single and binary mixture exposures.}},
author = {Carlos Pinheiro and Joana Azevedo and Alexandre Campos and Patrícia V Silva and Vítor Vasconcelos and Susana Loureiro},
journal = {Ecotoxicology (London, England)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1007/s10646-026-03171-z},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909730},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Combined toxicity of cyanotoxins and anthropogenic contaminants on Chlorella vulgaris: insights from single and binary mixture exposures.
AU - Carlos Pinheiro
AU - Joana Azevedo
AU - Alexandre Campos
AU - Patrícia V Silva
AU - Vítor Vasconcelos
AU - Susana Loureiro
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Ecotoxicology (London, England)
DO - 10.1007/s10646-026-03171-z
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909730
AB - Aquatic organisms in eutrophic brackish and freshwater systems are chronically exposed to natural and anthropogenic contaminants, including cyanotoxins, metals and pesticides, mainly driven by cyanobacterial blooms and human activities. However, the environmental risks posed by their combinations to the aquatic environment remain poorly understood. This study investigated the growth response of Chlorella vulgaris exposed to four single-chemical compounds (microcystin-LR, cylindrospermopsin, terbuthylazine, and cadmium) and five binary mixtures for 7 days. In single-chemical exposures, terbuthylazine was the most toxic to C. vulgaris, followed by cadmium, cylindrospermopsin and microcystin-LR. The obtained growth data were compared with concentration addition predictions based on individual toxicities using the MIXTOX tool, testing deviations for synergistic/antagonistic interactions, dose ratio and dose level dependencies. Mixture effects varied with composition and exposure time. Antagonism was the prevailing type of interaction between the chemical compounds after 4 days of exposure, while dose level dependency was the only deviation observed after 7 days. Regarding dose level dependency, synergism was observed at low doses of each chemical in three of the five tested binary mixtures. Time was an important factor in the change in the toxicity pattern. This synergistic effect poses a significant risk to aquatic organisms exposed simultaneously to cyanotoxins and anthropogenic contaminants in the environment.
SN - 0963-9292
SN - 1573-3017
ER -