{"id":172576,"date":"2026-03-06T16:50:45","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T22:50:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/?post_type=sciencecommunication&p=172576"},"modified":"2026-03-07T14:10:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T20:10:12","slug":"microalgae-in-lake-chapala","status":"publish","type":"sciencecommunication","link":"https:\/\/tecscience.tec.mx\/en\/science-communication\/microalgae-in-lake-chapala\/","title":{"rendered":"Pesticides in Lake Chapala: Scientists Turn to Microalgae to Help Clean the Water"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Alejandra Trevi\u00f1o Carri\u00f3n | CIENCIA AMATEUR<\/em>
Reviewing Editor: Mariana Mart\u00ednez \u00c1vila\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s Comisi\u00f3n Nacional del Agua (CONAGUA), the lake supplies drinking water to more than four million people<\/strong> [1].\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet runoff from nearby agricultural fields has carried pesticides and heavy metals into the lake<\/strong>, disrupting the fragile balance of its ecosystem. Fish populations have declined, migratory birds have retreated, and toxic sediments now blanket the lakebed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Studies show that this contamination has had a direct impact on public health<\/strong>, including a rise in cases of childhood kidney damage<\/strong> and exposure to heavy metals such as mercury [2][3].\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the Lab to the Lake<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Researchers at Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey are investigating how microalgae native to the lake can absorb heavy metals <\/strong>and break down pesticide residues. These microorganisms can function as living filters\u2014cleaning the water and restoring oxygen to the ecosystem through photosynthesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/strong> to repairing the damage we have caused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our team collects samples from eight different sites around Lake Chapala<\/strong> to identify which native microalgae species most effectively tolerate and degrade pesticides. In the laboratory, we expose these algae to increasing concentrations of contaminants <\/strong>and select the strains that continue to thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most resilient strains are carefully cultivated to reintroduce them into the lake<\/strong>. Once released, they are expected to act as a natural treatment system\u2014purifying the water, restoring oxygen levels, and encouraging the return of aquatic life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pesticide contamination, including glyphosate<\/strong>, has been reported in agricultural communities near the lake, where it has even been detected in children\u2019s urine samples [6].\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These findings underscore the urgency of sustainable biological solutions capable of cleaning the ecosystem without generating new pollutants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\r\n \r\n \"\"\r\n <\/picture>
Intensive pesticide use harms human health and the environment when these chemicals reach lake waters; recent studies show that native microalgae can break them down and absorb them.<\/strong> <\/em>(Courtesy of Alicia Trevi\u00f1o)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

An Ecosystem at Risk<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If successful, the project could directly benefit local families. Cleaner water means healthier people, safer food, and renewed economic activity through fishing and tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lake Chapala initiative illustrates how biotechnology can work in partnership with nature, relying on living organisms rather than synthetic chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, community engagement and awareness are essential to promote the responsible\u2014and, whenever possible, less toxic\u2014use of pesticides in surrounding agricultural fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

References\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Comisi\u00f3n Nacional del Agua (CONAGUA). (2023). Situaci\u00f3n del Subsector Agua Potable, Alcantarillado y\u00a0 Saneamiento en M\u00e9xico.<\/a> Gobierno de M\u00e9xico.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. [2] Ruiz-Velazco, N. G., Lozano-Kasten, F. J., Guzm\u00e1n-Torres, H., & Mej\u00eda-S\u00e1nchez, A. I. (2022). Social  Determinants and Chronic Kidney Disease of Undetermined Origin in Childhood: Families\u2019 Understanding in  Lake Chapala, Mexico<\/a>. Frontiers in Nephrology, 2, 962887. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. 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.<\/a> Environmental Health, 9(1). <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Greque de Morais, M., Zaparoli, M., Lucas, B. F., & Vieira Costa, J. A. (2022). Microalgae for Bioremediation of Pesticides: Overview, Challenges, and Future Trends<\/a>. In Algal Biotechnology (pp. 63\u201378). Elsevier.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Chisti, Y. (2021). Harnessing Microalgae for Environmental Biotechnology. <\/a>Biotechnology Advances, 49,  107752. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Lozano-Kasten, F., Sierra-D\u00edaz, E., Ch\u00e1vez, H. G., Peregrina Lucano, A. A., Cremades, R., & Pinto, E. S. (2021).  Seasonal Urinary Levels of Glyphosate in Children From Agricultural Communities.<\/a> Dose Response, 19(4).  <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Author<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    Alejandra Trevi\u00f1o Carri\u00f3n is a Ph.D. candidate in Biotechnology at Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey and a member of the research team studying the use of microalgae to remediate Lake Chapala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Reviewing Editor<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

    This article was reviewed by Mariana Mart\u00ednez \u00c1vila<\/strong><\/a>, research professor at Tecnol\u00f3gico de Monterrey, National System of Researchers (SNI) Level 1, and member of AMECA and SheSTEM, with international research experience in Belgium and Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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