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  • Open Access
  • Review

Cyanobacteria: Can They Serve as Natural Sponges for Environmental Contaminants?

  • Anastasiia Bolshakova †,   
  • Gaurav Bhardwaj †,   
  • Khyati Joshi †,   
  • Ratul Kumar Das,   
  • Satinder Kaur Brar *

Received: 11 Mar 2026 | Revised: 05 May 2026 | Accepted: 25 May 2026 | Published: 10 Jun 2026

Abstract

Cyanobacteria are highly effective microorganisms with strong potential for remediation of a wide range of contaminants, including heavy metals, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), synthetic dyes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other organic pollutants, commonly found across aquatic environments. This review critically discusses cyanobacteria as natural absorbents (“sponges”) and examines related mechanisms of bioremediation: biosorption, bioaccumulation, and biodegradation, while exploring sustainable approaches for resource recovery and biomass valorization. Various bioreactor configurations have also been discussed for optimizing growth and pollutant removal efficiency. This review brings together current knowledge on cyanobacteria-based remediation and outlines key directions needed to move these approaches toward reliable, real-world implementation.

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DOI
10.53941/eesus.2026.100017
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Volume 2, Issue 2
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Bolshakova, A.; Bhardwaj, G.; Joshi, K.; Das, R. K.; Brar, S. K. Cyanobacteria: Can They Serve as Natural Sponges for Environmental Contaminants?. Earth: Environmental Sustainability 2026, 2 (2), 250–265. https://doi.org/10.53941/eesus.2026.100017.
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