Background The escalating impact of global warming and eutrophication has led to an increase in large-scale outbreaks of cyanobacteria, particularly Microcystis, in freshwater ecosystems. This phenomenon results in the widespread accumulation of microcystins (MCs), a type of cyclic heptapeptide hepatotoxin with potent biological activity. MCs not only exhibit significant ecological toxicity, posing a serious threat to aquatic biodiversity, but also due to their strong hepatotoxicity, they have been identified as potential promoters of liver cancer, thereby posing substantial public safety hazards to both human and animal health.

Progress  Considering the environmental persistence of MCs and the limitations of traditional water treatment technologies in eliminating them, the search for effective methods to degrade MCs has become a pressing task in the field of environmental science and technology. This article provides a comprehensive review of the background of MCs production, its ecological and public health hazards, and offers a detailed overview of recent research progress on MCs degradation mechanisms. Through a thorough analysis of existing research findings, it further underscores the importance of uncovering and optimizing MCs degradation mechanisms for environmental protection and drinking water safety.

Significance  In light of the current research bottlenecks and MCs degradation strategies.