## 3 Results and Discussions  
### Microalgae Growth in the Presence of EDCs  
_Scenedesmus_ sp. and \(C\). _vulgaris_ were grown separately in the presence (doped) or absence (control) of an EDC mix for 7 days in SWW (LOM experiments), and the DCW was evaluated. Figure 1a shows how both microalgae species can grow in culture media with ammonium as a nitrogen source. \(C\). _vulgaris_ demonstrated superior adaptation to the SWW compared to _Scenedesmus_ sp., resulting in an algal density of 0.55 and 0.67 g/L within 7 days for the control and doped samples, respectively. On the other hand, _Scenedesmus_ sp. reached only 0.34 g/L and 0.29 g/L. \(C\). _vulgaris_ preferred ammonium as its optimal nitrogensource, even when both ammonium and nitrate are present in the culture media [64]. In contrast, _Scenedesmus_ sp. exhibited lower algal density when ammonium was used as a nitrogen source compared to nitrate or urea [65]. Similar growth for both species was observed in the absence and presence of EDCs. A paired-samples \(t\)-test revealed that the presence of EDCs did not significantly impact microalgae growth (\(p\)-value \(>\) 0.05), except on day 1 for both species and day 7 for _C. vulgaris_ (\(p\)-value \(<\) 0.05), where EDC presence enhanced growth. This fact has also been reported in previous studies, suggesting that microalgae growth is not negatively affected by the presence of EDCs. Instead, microalgae may adapt to low doses of these compounds in culture media, potentially enhancing their growth. For instance, the microalgae _Tetraselmis_ sp. demonstrated adaptation to EDCs in the culture media with 1 ppm of BPA and other EDCs, showing no adverse effects on cell growth [66]. Additionally, the growth of _C. vulgaris_ could be enhanced in the presence of MeP concentrations ranging from 1 to 5 ppm [67].  
As observed in Figure 1b, the pH of the _Scenedesmus_ sp. culture in the presence of EDCs continuously decays up to a pH value of approximately 4 after 7 days. These acid conditions can be attributed to the release of H\({}^{+}\) when ammonium is the nitrogen source [68]. The optimal pH range for _Scenedesmus_ sp. was between 8.5 and 6.5, achieved on day 3 (Figure 1b), which coincided with a decrease in biomass growth, as shown in Figure 1a [69]. Other authors observed this fact, suggesting that the reduction in pH has an inhibitory effect on _Scenedesmus_ sp. growth. This inhibition is primarily due to acidic conditions acting as enzyme photosynthesis inhibitors. Consequently, the disruption of photosystem II reactions resulted in a lower algal cell density [70].  
The optimal pH for _C. vulgaris_ ranged between 6.0 and 9.0 [71]. Figure 1b shows a slight acidification trend for the _C. vulgaris_ culture up to a pH of 7. The highest growth rates were observed from day 4 to day 7, as depicted in Figure 1a. This increase in algal growth led to elevated algal photosynthetic activity. Some studies suggest that higher photosynthesis rates can lead to a rise in pH, thus preventing the acidification of the culture media [72]. This phenomenon, therefore, was observed in the growth of _C. vulgaris_ in the presence of EDCs and explains the high growth rate achieved with this microalgae.