Caffeine as a contaminant of periphyton: ecological changes and impacts on primary producers

Autor(es)

de Sousa, Mariana Lopes ^[1] ; dos Santos, Deborah Yara Alves Cursino ^[2] ; Chow, Fungyi ^[3] ; Pompeo, Marcelo Luiz Martins ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biosci, Dept Ecol, Lab Limnol, Rua Matao 321, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biosci, Dept Bot, Lab Phytochem, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biosci, Dept Bot, Lab Marine Algae Edison Jose Paula, Rua Matao 321, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: ECOTOXICOLOGY; v. 30, n. 4 MAR 2021.
• Citações Web of Science: 0

Resumo

Every day, tons of caffeine is consumed by humans in beverages, medications or supplements, and a significant amount of this stimulant is released in domestic sewage. Once in aquatic environments caffeine interacts directly with the periphytic community, which is responsible for a significant part of primary production in aquatic ecosystems. However, the effects of exposure to caffeine are mostly unknown for both the periphyton and their predators. Aiming to comprehend the interaction between caffeine and the periphytic community, ecotoxicological experiments were performed by exposing a periphytic biofilm cultivated in the laboratory to different concentrations of caffeine, following concentrations found in domestic sewers. The impact of exposure to this contaminant was observed on the structure of the community through taxonomic evaluation, as well a set of physiological variables linked to primary production. After exposure to the highest caffeine concentration (300 mu g L-1), the density of the genus Scenedesmus was severely affected, leading to an increase in cyanobacteria and diatoms. Both richness and diversity decreased after exposure, and there was lower photosynthetic activity, with light saturation point changing from 186 mu mol m(-2) s(-1) in the control treatment to 108 mu mol m(-2) s(-1) after exposure. Caffeine accumulation within the biofilm was also observed during the first 24 h, in the concentration of 0.14 mu g /cm(2). (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 14/22581-8 - A Diretiva Quadro da Água da Comunidade Européia: aplicações à realidade dos reservatórios brasileiros
• Beneficiário: Marcelo Luiz Martins Pompêo
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular