Academia Open
Vol. 10 No. 2 (2025): December

Microalgae as Biosensors for Heavy Metal Detection Using Spectroscopic Techniques

Sara Hammoud Abdulameer (College Of Education for Pure Sciences, University of Kerbala)



Article Info

Publish Date
24 Oct 2025

Abstract

General Background: Heavy metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems represents a persistent environmental challenge due to their non-biodegradable nature and bioaccumulation in the food chain, posing severe risks to human and ecological health. Specific Background: Traditional detection techniques like atomic absorption and ICP-MS are effective but expensive and time-consuming, driving interest toward biological alternatives such as microalgae-based biosensors that can detect and respond to pollutants through physiological and biochemical changes. Knowledge Gap: Limited studies have compared the biosensing capacities of Ankistrodesmus falcatus and Scenedesmus obliquus using integrative spectroscopic and metabolomic analyses under realistic contamination conditions. Aims: This study investigates the biosensing and bioremediation abilities of these two microalgal species in detecting lead, cadmium, and mercury in contaminated water. Results: Both species showed high metal removal efficiency (up to 97% for Hg²⁺), with Ankistrodesmus exhibiting faster biosorption and stronger sensitivity, while Scenedesmus demonstrated higher resilience to lead. Spectroscopic analyses revealed distinct functional group shifts, reduced chlorophyll fluorescence, and metabolic reprogramming under metal stress. Novelty: The integration of FTIR, fluorescence, and GC-MS analyses provided a comprehensive biochemical understanding of algal stress responses. Implications: These findings support the development of cost-effective, eco-friendly biosensing systems for monitoring and remediating heavy metal pollution in aquatic environments.Highlight : Two algal species showed strong potential as biosensors for detecting heavy metal contamination in water. Spectroscopic analyses confirmed biochemical and physiological changes under metal exposure. Ankistrodesmus responded faster to mercury, while Scenedesmus showed better tolerance to lead. Keywords : Microalgae, Heavy Metal Pollution, Biosensing, Spectroscopic Techniques, Water Quality

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Journal Info

Abbrev

acopen

Publisher

Subject

Medicine & Pharmacology Public Health

Description

Academia Open is published by Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo published 2 (two) issues per year (June and December). This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. This ...