Heavy metal induced antioxidant defense system of green microalgae and its effective role in phycoremediation of tannery effluent

Investigation of tannery effluent toxicology in green microalgae is of great importance from ecological point of view, because heavy metal has become a major contaminant in recent years. The present study determined the effect of various concentrations (0, 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) of heavy metals containing tannery effluent on cell growth and antioxidant defense system of two green microalgae. Treatment with effluent induced accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). Lower tannery effluent concentrations increased algal growth, whereas higher concentration suppressed the growth and photosynthetic content. Both strains of the microalgae had proven effective in removing heavy metals from aqueous solutions with the highest removal efficiency being near 100% and it can be used for phycoremediation of wastewater in large scale.