Can microalgae grow on dissolved black carbon generated from high-frequency wildfires?

Abstract

Climate and land-use changes have significantly increased the severity and frequency of global wildfires, raising concerns about their effects on the terrestrial environment, aquatic systems, and humans. During wildfires, numerous substances such as organic matter black carbon (BC), anions, cations, and nutrients are released and mobilized. Black carbon (BC) is a pyrogenic residue generated through the incomplete burning of organics (OCs) during wildfires. The introduction of BC to aquatic systems through rainfall events forms a dissolved fraction known as dissolved black carbon (DBC), which strongly absorbs sunlight and increases both surface and internal water temperatures. Currently, microalgae are popular candidates for carbon fixation, biofuel production, and other value-added products. This review suggests the potential application of DBC in aquatic environments to enhance microalgal growth through sunlight absorption and interaction with other pollutants. However, the addition of DBC for microalgal growth may face challenges; therefore, the employment of novel strategies should be promoted to direct future research toward ensuring cleaner, more economical, and environmentally friendly DBC consumption for enhanced microalgal biomass production.