Evaluation of bioaccumulation and toxicity of Congo Red on Pseudochloris wilhelmii and Daphnia magna

Year 2025, Volume: 34 Issue: 1, 36 - 47, 20.06.2025

Elif Kağızman , Şeyda Fikirdesici Ergen , Burcu Ertit Taştan

https://doi.org/10.53447/communc.1656451

Abstract

Congo Red, which may have allergic, carcinogenic and mutagenic effects for organisms used in textiles and in biochemistry and histology for dyeing microscopic media, is an organic pollutant that causes environmental concerns. This study shows that the acute toxic effects of Congo Red on two different aquatic organisms (Pseudochloris wilhelmii and Daphnia magna). The toxic effects of increasing dye concentrations on the growth of Pseudochloris wilhelmii were demonstrated by algal inhibition test. The maximum chlorophyll (a+b) concentration was determined as 0.445 µg/mL at a dye concentration of 5.38 mg/L after 72 hours of exposure. This value decreased to 0.218 µg/mL at 28.46 mg/L dye concentration, indicating a decrease of approximately 50%. For Daphnia magna, it was also demonstrated that acute toxic effects reached their highest level with increasing concentrations and duration (72h LC50: 89.91 mg/L). This study shows that the introduction of Congo red into ecosystems could cause stress on the environment and organisms.

Keywords

Toxicity , dye , algae , water flea

Ethical Statement

The microorganism used in this study was isolated within the scope of TUBITAK project No 122Z742

Supporting Institution

TÜBİTAK

Project Number

122Z742

Thanks

The microorganism used in this study was isolated within the scope of TUBITAK project No 122Z742

References

• Oladoye, P.O., Natural, low-cost adsorbents for toxic Pb (II) ion sequestration from (waste) water: A state-of-the-art review. Chemosphere, 287 (2022), 132130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132130
• Santos, S.C., Boaventura, R.A., Adsorption modelling of textile dyes by sepiolite. Applied Clay Science, 42 (2008), 137-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2008.01.002
• Harja, M., Buema, G., Bucur, D., Recent advances in removal of Congo Red dye by adsorption using an industrial waste. Scientific Reports, 12 (2022), 6087. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10093-3
• Kumar, D., Singh, H., Raj, S., Soni, V., Chlorophyll a fluorescence kinetics of mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) grown under artificial continuous light. Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports, 24 (2020), 100813. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrep.2020.100813
• Saratale, R.G., Saratale, G.D., Chang, J.S., Govindwar, S.P., Bacterial decolorization and degradation of azo dyes: a review. Journal of the Taiwan institute of Chemical Engineers, 42 (2011), 138-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2010.06.006
• Yates, E., Yates, A., Johann Peter Griess FRS (1829-88): Victorian brewer and synthetic dye chemist. Notes and Records, 70 (2016), 65–81. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsnr.2015.0020
• Polat, E., Tastan, B.E., Investigation of microalgae isolated from different water resources of Turkiye for their biotechnological utilization. Ege Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 41 (2024), 97-104. https://doi.org/10.12714/egejfas.41.2.03
• Blazina, M., Fafandel, M., Gecek, S., Haberle, I., Klanjscek, J., Hrustic, E., Lana H., Luka, Z., Ena, P., Klanjscek, T., Characterization of Pseudochloris wilhelmii potential for oil refinery wastewater remediation and valuable biomass cogeneration. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9 (2022), 983395. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.983395
• Concas, A., Steriti, A., Pisu, M., Cao, G., Experimental and theoretical investigation of the effects of iron on growth and lipid synthesis of microalgae in view of their use to produce biofuels. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 9 (2021), 105349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.105349
• Ebert, D., Daphnia as a versatile model system in ecology and evolution. EvoDevo, 13 (2022), 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13227-022-00199-0
• Balusamy, B., Taştan, B.E., Ergen, Ş. F., Uyar, T., Tekinay, T., Toxicity of lanthanum oxide (La2O3) nanoparticles in aquatic environments. Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts, 17 (2015), 1265. doi: 10.1039/c5em00035a
• Danabas, D., Ates, M., Tastan, B.E., Cimen, I.C.C., Unal, I., Aksu, O., Kutlu, B., Effects of Zn and ZnO nanoparticles on Artemia salina and Daphnia magna organisms: toxicity, accumulation and elimination. Science of The Total Environment, 711 (2020), 134869. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134869
• Ertit Taştan, B., Effective removal of fly ash by Penicillium chrysogenum and determination of direct fly ash toxicity with Daphnia magna. Water Supply, 21 (5) (2021), 2047-2057. https://doi.org/10.2166/ws.2020.303
• Clavijo, C., Osma, J.F., Functionalized leather: A novel and effective hazardous solid waste adsorbent for the removal of the diazo dye congo red from aqueous solution. Water, 11 (9) (2019), 1906. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11091906
• 122Z742 TUBITAK Project. Developing microalgae-based sustainable CO2 reduction strategies and investigating the potential of microalgal biomass as biodiesel, biodegradant and biosorbent-based green energy source 2022-2025.
• Taştan, B.E., Duygu, E., İlbaş, M., Dönmez, G., Utilization of LPG and gasoline engine exhaust emissions by microalgae. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 246– 247 (2013), 173-180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2012.11.035
• OECD, Freshwater Alga and Cyanobacteria, Growth Inhibition Test, OECD Guideline for the testing of chemicals, Guideline 201, 2011.
• OECD, Daphnia sp., Acute Immobilisation Test, OECD Guideline for the testing of chemicals, Guideline 202, 2004.
• Ip, P.F., Chen, F., Production of astaxanthin by the green microalga Chlorella zofingiensis in the dark. Process Biochemistry, 40 (2) (2005), 733–738. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procbio.2004.01.039
• Tastan, B.E., Karatay, S.E., Dönmez, G., Bioremoval of textile dyes with different chemical structures by Aspergillus versicolor in molasses medium. Water Science and Technology, 66 (10) (2012), 2177-2184. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2012.441
• Boduroğlu, G., Kılıç, N.K., Dönmez, G., Bioremoval of Reactive Blue 220 by Gonium sp. biomass. Environmental Technology, 35 (19) (2014), 2410-2415. https://doi.org/10.1080/09593330.2014.908240
• Taştan, B.E., Ertuğrul, S., Dönmez, G., Effective bioremoval of reactive dye and heavy metals by Aspergillus versicolor. Bioresource Technology, 101 (3) (2010), 870-876. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2009.08.099
• Oladoye, P.O., Bamigboye, M.O., Ogunbiyi, O.D., Akano, M.T., Toxicity and decontamination strategies of Congo red dye. Groundwater for Sustainable Development, 19 (2022), 100844. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2022.100844
• Fikirdeşici, Ş., Altindağ, A., Özdemir, E., Investigation of acute toxicity of cadmium-arsenic mixtures to Daphnia magna with toxic units approach. Turkish Journal of Zoology, 36 (4) (2012), 543-550. https://doi.org/10.3906/zoo-1006-36
• Zhou, Q., Zhang, J., Fu, J., Shi, J., Jiang, G., Biomonitoring: an appealing tool for assessment of metal pollution in the aquatic ecosystem. Analytica Chimica Acta, 606 (2) (2008), 135-150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aca.2007.11.018
• Persoone, G., Baudo, R., Cotman, M., Blaise, C., Thompson, K.C., Moreira-Santos, M., Vollat, B., Törökne, A., Han, T., Review on the acute Daphnia magna toxicity test–Evaluation of the sensitivity and the precision of assays performed with organisms from laboratory cultures or hatched from dormant eggs. Knowledge and Management of Aquatic Ecosystems, 393 (2009), 01. https://doi.org/10.1051/kmae/2009012
• Li, H., Zhao, Y., Yin, C., Jiao, L., Ding, L., WO3 nanocrystal prepared by self-assembly of phosphotungstic acid and dopamine for photocatalytic degradation of Congo red. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 572 (2019), 147-151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2019.03.092
• Litefti, K., Freire, M.S., Stitou, M., González-Álvarez, J., Adsorption of an anionic dye (Congo red) from aqueous solutions by pine bark. Scientific Reports, 9 (2019), 16530. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-53046-z
• Mandal, S., Calderon, J., Marpu, S.B., Omary, M.A., Shi, S.Q., Mesoporous activated carbon as a green adsorbent for the removal of heavy metals and Congo red: Characterization, adsorption kinetics, and isotherm studies. Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 243 (2021), 103869. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2021.103869
• Hernández-Zamora, M., Martínez-Jerónimo, F., Cristiani-Urbina, E., Cañizares-Villanueva, R.O., Congo red dye affects survival and reproduction in the cladoceran Ceriodaphnia dubia. Effects of direct and dietary exposure. Ecotoxicology, 25 (2016), 1832–1840. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-016-1731-x
• Kumar, V., Effective degradation of rhodamine B and Congo red dyes over biosynthesized silver nanoparticles-imbibed carboxymethyl cellulose hydrogel. Polymer Bulletin, 77 (2020), 3349–3365. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-019-02920-x
• Siddiqui, S.I., Allehyani, E.S., Al-Harbi, S.A., Hasan, Z., Abomuti, M.A., Rajor, H.K., Oh, S., Investigation of Congo red toxicity towards different living organisms: a review. Processes, 11 (2023), 807. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030807
• National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 11313, Congo Red. Available online: https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Congo-red (accessed on 09 March 2025).
• Hernández-Zamora, M., Martínez-Jerónimo, F., Congo red dye diversely affects organisms of different trophic levels: a comparative study with microalgae, cladocerans, and zebrafish embryos. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 26 (2019), 11743-11755. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-04589-1