The effectiveness of Nostoc and Chlorella strains for arsenic bioremediation

Arsenic is a toxic compound found in the potential drinking water sources (the ex-mining lake) in Malaysia. To remove the arsenic from the water, microalgae can be used to absorb the arsenic and reduce the toxicity of arsenic. Two different microalgae strains were compared, and the results showed that Nostoc can remove higher arsenic concentrations. Arsenic was also shown to improve the growth of the Nostoc. The high arsenic uptake by Nostoc was further investigated and predicted to be due to the lack of phosphate which blocks the arsenic from being released out to the environment from the cells.