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Effect of hydrogen peroxide on natural phytoplankton and bacterioplankton in a drinking water reservoir: Mesocosm-scale study
- Source :
- Water research. 197
- Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Cyanobacterial blooms are increasingly reported worldwide, presenting a challenge to water treatment plants and concerning risks to human health and aquatic ecosystems. Advanced oxidative processes comprise efficient and safe methods for water treatment. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has been proposed as a sustainable solution to mitigate bloom-forming cyanobacteria since this group presents a higher sensitivity compared to other phytoplankton, with no major risks to the environment at low concentrations. Here, we evaluated the effects of a single H2O2 addition (10 mg L−1) over 120 h in mesocosms introduced in a reservoir located in a semi-arid region presenting a Planktothrix-dominated cyanobacterial bloom. We followed changes in physical and chemical parameters and in the bacterioplankton composition. H2O2 efficiently suppressed cyanobacteria, green algae, and diatoms over 72 h, leading to an increase in transparency and dissolved organic carbon, and a decrease in dissolved oxygen and pH, while nutrient concentrations were not affected. After 120 h, cyanobacterial abundance remained low and green algae became dominant. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that the original cyanobacterial bloom was composed by Planktothrix, Cyanobium and Microcystis. Only Cyanobium increased in relative abundance at 120 h, suggesting regrowth. A prominent change in the composition of heterotrophic bacteria was observed with Exiguobacterium, Paracoccus and Deinococcus becoming the most abundant genera after the H2O2 treatment. Our results indicate that this approach is efficient in suppressing cyanobacterial blooms and improving water quality in tropical environments. Monitoring changes in abiotic parameters and the relative abundance of specific bacterial taxa could be used to anticipate the regrowth of cyanobacteria after H2O2 degradation and to indicate where in the reservoir H2O2 should be applied so the effects are still felt in the water treatment plant intake.
- Subjects :
- Cyanobacteria
Environmental Engineering
0208 environmental biotechnology
02 engineering and technology
010501 environmental sciences
01 natural sciences
Planktothrix
Mesocosm
Microcystis
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
Phytoplankton
Humans
Waste Management and Disposal
Ecosystem
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Water Science and Technology
Civil and Structural Engineering
biology
Chemistry
Ecological Modeling
Aquatic ecosystem
Drinking Water
fungi
Bacterioplankton
Hydrogen Peroxide
Eutrophication
biology.organism_classification
Pollution
020801 environmental engineering
Environmental chemistry
Water quality
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 18792448
- Volume :
- 197
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Water research
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....92a6ebf30d05ea02a7913b44bf8fcd53