Phytotoxicity, bioaccumulation and potential risks of plant irrigations using cyanobloom-loading freshwater

Highlights: • MC-LR and PCB-28 exhibits synergistic impacts on seeds germination; • MC-LR and Cd exerts antagonistic effects on seeds germination; • Strongest growth inhibition were observed under ternary mixture; • Irrigation with cyanobloom broth led to inhibition on plant growth; • Direct irrigation by eutrophic water led to multiple contaminations of crops. The toxicity of cyanotoxins on plant has been reported. However, in eutrophic waters harmful cyanobacteria are associated with other environmental pollutants, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and metals. Information on the phytotoxicity and bioaccumulation of coexisted cyanotoxins and these environmental pollutants is still lacking. In this study, the combined phytotoxicities of three types of cyanobacteria-associated pollutants, i.e., microcystin-LR (MC-LR), cadmium (Cd), 2, 4, 4′-Trichlorobiphenyl (PCB-28) were systematically investigated. After 7-days exposure, strong synergistic effects can be detected when Arabidopsis thaliana seeds and seedlings exposed to binary mixtures of MC-LR + PCB-28 and PCB-28 + Cd. The strongest inhibition occurred when A. thaliana exposed to their ternary mixture under both glasshouse and semi-field conditions. Moreover, bioaccumulation of MC-LR, Cd and PCB-28 was enhanced when seedlings exposed to their binary/ternary mixtures, especially when seedlings were treated with higher concentrations of toxicants (MC-LR, 1 mg L^{− 1}; Cd, 10 mg L^{− 1}; PCB-28, 1 μg L^{− 1}). Additionally, pronounced toxic effects could be determined under 7-days after seedlings were irrigated with raw cyanobloom-containing water (collected from Lake Taihu in China)and its dilutions. Seeds production decreased significantly after the continuous irrigation with cyanoblooms-containing water. Collectively, this work will be an informative implication for risks of cyanoblooms and adequate utilization of freshwater containing cyanoblooms for crop irrigation.