By Alejandra Treviño Carrión | CIENCIA AMATEUR
Reviewing Editor: Mariana Martínez Ávila
Lake Chapala, in western Mexico, has for generations provided food, drinking water, and a sense of identity for the communities along its shores. According to Mexico’s Comisión Nacional del Agua (CONAGUA), the lake supplies drinking water to more than four million people [1].
Yet runoff from nearby agricultural fields has carried pesticides and heavy metals into the lake, disrupting the fragile balance of its ecosystem. Fish populations have declined, migratory birds have retreated, and toxic sediments now blanket the lakebed.
Studies show that this contamination has had a direct impact on public health, including a rise in cases of childhood kidney damage and exposure to heavy metals such as mercury [2][3].
From the Lab to the Lake
Researchers at Tecnológico de Monterrey are investigating how microalgae native to the lake can absorb heavy metals and break down pesticide residues. These microorganisms can function as living filters—cleaning the water and restoring oxygen to the ecosystem through photosynthesis.
The effectiveness of microalgae in the bioremediation of pesticides has been widely documented in international scientific literature [4] [5]. Nature itself may hold the key to repairing the damage we have caused.
Our team collects samples from eight different sites around Lake Chapala to identify which native microalgae species most effectively tolerate and degrade pesticides. In the laboratory, we expose these algae to increasing concentrations of contaminants and select the strains that continue to thrive.
The most resilient strains are carefully cultivated to reintroduce them into the lake. Once released, they are expected to act as a natural treatment system—purifying the water, restoring oxygen levels, and encouraging the return of aquatic life.
Pesticide contamination, including glyphosate, has been reported in agricultural communities near the lake, where it has even been detected in children’s urine samples [6].
These findings underscore the urgency of sustainable biological solutions capable of cleaning the ecosystem without generating new pollutants.
An Ecosystem at Risk
If successful, the project could directly benefit local families. Cleaner water means healthier people, safer food, and renewed economic activity through fishing and tourism.
It could also serve as a model for other contaminated bodies of water across Latin America, demonstrating that sustainable biotechnological solutions can be both simple and effective.
For those of us involved in the project, Lake Chapala represents more than a scientific challenge; it is a symbol of culture and community. Restoring it means restoring life to an entire region.
The Lake Chapala initiative illustrates how biotechnology can work in partnership with nature, relying on living organisms rather than synthetic chemicals.
Still, community engagement and awareness are essential to promote the responsible—and, whenever possible, less toxic—use of pesticides in surrounding agricultural fields.
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References
- Comisión Nacional del Agua (CONAGUA). (2023). Situación del Subsector Agua Potable, Alcantarillado y Saneamiento en México. Gobierno de México.
- [2] Ruiz-Velazco, N. G., Lozano-Kasten, F. J., Guzmán-Torres, H., & Mejía-Sánchez, A. I. (2022). Social Determinants and Chronic Kidney Disease of Undetermined Origin in Childhood: Families’ Understanding in Lake Chapala, Mexico. Frontiers in Nephrology, 2, 962887.
- Trasande, L., Cortes, J. E., Landrigan, P. J., Abercrombie, M. I., Bopp, R. F., & Cifuentes, E. (2010). Methylmercury Exposure in a Subsistence Fishing Community in Lake Chapala, Mexico: An Ecological Approach. Environmental Health, 9(1).
- Greque de Morais, M., Zaparoli, M., Lucas, B. F., & Vieira Costa, J. A. (2022). Microalgae for Bioremediation of Pesticides: Overview, Challenges, and Future Trends. In Algal Biotechnology (pp. 63–78). Elsevier.
- Chisti, Y. (2021). Harnessing Microalgae for Environmental Biotechnology. Biotechnology Advances, 49, 107752.
- Lozano-Kasten, F., Sierra-Díaz, E., Chávez, H. G., Peregrina Lucano, A. A., Cremades, R., & Pinto, E. S. (2021). Seasonal Urinary Levels of Glyphosate in Children From Agricultural Communities. Dose Response, 19(4).
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Author
Alejandra Treviño Carrión is a Ph.D. candidate in Biotechnology at Tecnológico de Monterrey and a member of the research team studying the use of microalgae to remediate Lake Chapala.
Reviewing Editor
This article was reviewed by Mariana Martínez Ávila, research professor at Tecnológico de Monterrey, National System of Researchers (SNI) Level 1, and member of AMECA and SheSTEM, with international research experience in Belgium and Spain.
