Relationship between plankton-based β-carotene and biodegradable adaptablity to petroleum-derived hydrocarbon

Coastal environment are often stress from petroleum-derived hydrocarbon pollution. However, petroleum-derived hydrocarbon is persistent organic pollutants and their biodegradation by phytoplankton is little known. Five species of marine phytoplankton, including Dunaliella salina, Chlorella sp., Conticribra weissflogii, Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin, and Prorocentrum donghaiense, have been used to test their tolerance to petroleum hydrocarbon contamination. D.salina and Chlorella sp can survive in high levels of No. 0 diesel oils water-soluble fractions (WSFs, 5.0 mg L-1), furthermore, petroleum hydrocarbon could be biodegraded effectively by them (Fig. 2). The content of beta-carotene in these two species of phytoplankton has significant correlation with degradation rate of WSFs concentrations (Fig. 4), petroleum hydrocarbons could be biodegraded effectively by algae. Meanwhile, the center dot OH in seawater can be removed by beta-carotene effectively so that algal cells could be protected by the beta-carotene for its strong antioxidant capacity. Therefore, beta-carotene as a coin has two sides on the degradation of WSFs. Here we explore the relationship between plankton-based beta-carotene and biodegradable adaptability to petroleum-derived hydrocarbon, which offers a green technology for petroleum-derived hydrocarbon treatment. (C) 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd.