Effects of oxytetracycline dihydrate and sulfamethoxazole on Microcystis aeruginosa and Chlamydomonas microsphaera

The increasing use of pharmaceuticals has become a major environmental issue in China. The presence of antibiotics in water may have deleterious effects on non-target aquatic organisms such as microalgae. In this study, a cyanobacterium and an alga species in surface waters, Microcystis aeruginosa and Chlamydomonas microsphaera, were exposed to 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 5.0, 10.0, and 20.0 mg/L of oxytetracycline dihydrate (OXY) and sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) for 96 h to determine the effects of these antibiotics on the growth and surface morphology. Moreover, the photosynthetic activity and the contents of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and protein were measured to examine the biochemical characteristics of M. aeruginosa and C. microsphaera under OXY and SMZ stress. The effects of both antibiotics on the growth of both species were concentration-dependent and characterized by low-dose stimulation and high-dose inhibition. C. microsphaera was more sensitive to both antibiotics than M. aeruginosa was. The algal cell membranes of both species disintegrated after exposure to a high concentration of OXY. All of the physiological parameters measured in this study were relatively stable at low concentrations of OXY and SMZ. After exposure to high concentrations of OXY and SMZ, photosynthetic activity decreased significantly, whereas lipid peroxidation and the abundance of SOD, MDA, and protein increased significantly. Thus, low-dose antibiotics may increase algal blooms in eutrophic waters.