Bioimmobilization and transformation of chromium and cadmium in the fungi-microalgae symbiotic system

Microalgae and fungi in the fungi-microalgae symbiotic system(FMSS) can solve the problems of deep purification of heavy metals in wastewater and harvesting of microalgae cell by synergistic interaction. Therefore, it is of great significance to use the FMSS for remediation of heavy metal pollution. However, at present, the immobilization and transformation mechanism of heavy metals in the FMSS is not clear, which limits the development and industrial application of the FMSS with high adsorption performance, high selectivity, and high tolerance. In this study, the FMSS constructed using Aspergillus funigatus and Synechocystis sp. PCC6803, was used as the research object to explore heavy metal adsorption performance. Under optimal conditions, the adsorption efficiencies of Cd(II) and Cr(VI) were as high as 90.02% and 80.03%, respectively. The adsorption process was controlled by both internal and external diffusion. Extracellular absorption was dominant, and intracellular absorption was secondary. XRD, XPS, SEM-EDX and TEM-EDX results revealed that ionic crystals and precipitates (Cd(OH)₂, CdCO₃, calcium oxalate crystals, Cr(OH)₃, Cr₂O₃, and CrCl₃) were formed after adsorption. The adsorption of Cr(VI) involved the reduction of Cr(VI). Functional groups, such as amino, carboxyl, aldehyde, and ether groups, on the cell surface also interact with heavy metal ions. To summarize, by constructing the FMSS, optimizing the symbiosis conditions, exploring the adsorption and accumulation rules of Cd(II) and Cr(VI) inside and outside the cells in the system, and revealing the molecular response mechanism, we were able to establish a theoretical basis for further understanding the interaction between the FMSS and heavy metals.