Effects of size and concentration of aquatic particles collected from Lake Poyang, as well as initial algal cell density and organic matter concentration, on flocculation of Microcystis aeruginosa (cyanobacteria) and Nitzschia (diatom) by aquatic particles were investigated in the laboratory. Results showed that flocculation efficiency of cyanobacteria by particles was higher when compared to diatoms. Flocculation efficiency of algae increased with decrease of particle size. When particle concentration increased from 0.02 g/L to 1.28 g/L, flocculation efficiencies of M. aeruginosa and Nitzschia increased from 19.3% to 43.7% and from 2.95% to 29.0%, respectively. Moreover, the flocculation efficiency increased with an increase of initial algal cell density, and efficiency of M. aeruginosa was two to three times higher than Nitzschia. Organic matter (humic acid) in the water had a positive effect on flocculation efficiency of M. aeruginosa, and efficiency increased from 17.6% to 23.4% when humic acid concentration increased from 0 mg/L to 8 mg/L. An increase in flocculation efficiency of Nitzschia from 11.8% to 16.3% was observed with an increase in humic acid concentration from 0 mg/L to 4 mg/L. It was concluded that in natural water bodies, flocculation efficiency of algae by the aquatic particles was highly dependent on characteristics of aquatic particles and algae such as size, extracellular polysaccharide contents on algal cell surfaces, algal cell density, and particle concentration, as well as organic matter concentration in the water. Aquatic particles can attenuate the dominance of cyanobacteria and promote dominance of diatoms, consequentially reducing cyanobacteria bloom risks.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AvenaM.J., VermeerA.W.P., and KoopalL.K. (1999). Volume and structure of humic acids studied by viscometry pH and electrolyte concentration effects. Colloids Surf. Physicochem. Eng. Asp., 151, 213.
2.
BilottaG.S., and BrazierR.E. (2008). Understanding the influence of suspended solids on water quality and aquatic biota. Water Res. 42, 2849.
3.
CaiY., and KongF. (2013). Diversity and dynamics of picocyanobacteria and the bloom-forming cyanobacteria in a large shallow eutrophic lake (Lake Chaohu, china). J. Limnol., 72, 473.
4.
CaoJ., ChuZ.S., DuY.L., HouZ.Y., and WangS.R. (2016). Phytoplankton dynamics and their relationship with environmental variables of Lake Poyang. Hydrol. Res., 47, 249.
5.
ChenH., PanG., and ZhangM.M. (2004). The effect of growth phase on the flocculation of algal cells using clays. Environ. Sci., 25, 85.
6.
ChenY., QinB., TeubnerK., and DokulilM.T. (2003). Long-term dynamics of phytoplankton assemblages: Microcystisdomination in Lake Taihu, a large shallow lake in China. J. Plankton Res., 25, 445.
7.
CraytonM.A. (1982). A comparative cytochemical study of volvocacean matrix polysaccharides. J. Phycol., 18, 336.
8.
DongY.Y., JinF., and HuangJ.H. (2011). Poyang lake sediments grain size characteristics and its tracing implication for formation and evolution processes. Geol. Sci. Technol. Inf., 30, 57.
9.
DuY.L., ZhouH.D., PengW.Q., LiuX.B., WangS.Y., and YinS.H. (2015). Modeling the impacts of the change of river-lake relationship on the hydrodynamic and water quality revolution in Poyang Lake. Acta Sci. Circumstant.., 35, 1274.
10.
DuboisM., GillesK.A., HamiltonJ. K., RebersP.A., and SmithF. (1956). Colorimetric methods for determination of sugars and related substances. Anal. Chem., 28, 350.
11.
FalconerI.R., and HumpageA.R. (2006). Cyanobacterial (blue–green algal) toxins in water supplies: Cylindrospermopsins. Environ. Toxicol., 21, 299.
12.
GerdeJ.A., YaoL., LioJ.Y., WenZ., and WangT. (2014). Microalgae flocculation: Impact of flocculant type, algae species and cell concentration. Algal Res. 3, 30.
13.
GuB., SchmittJ., ChenZ., LiangL., and MccarthyJ.F. (1994). Adsorption and desorption of natural organic matter on iron oxide: Mechanisms and models. Environ. Sci. Technol., 28, 38.
14.
HanM.Y., and KimW. (2001). A theoretical consideration of algae removal with clays. Microchem. J., 68, 157.
15.
HuangC., LiY., YangH., SunD., YuZ., ZhangZ., ChenX., and XuL. (2014). Detection of algal bloom and factors influencing its formation in Taihu Lake from 2000 to 2011 by Modis. Environ. Earth Sci., 71, 3705.
16.
JinX., LiY.M., WangQ., ZhangH., WangY.F., and YinB. (2010). Estimating of suspended matter concentration based on bio-optical model in Chaohu Lake. Environ. Sci., 31, 2882.
17.
KourkiH., and FamiliM.H.N. (2012). Particle sedimentation: Effect of polymer concentration on particle–particle interaction. Powder Technol. 221, 137.
18.
LiF.G. (2005). The study on the flocculation-properties of cohesive sediment suspensions [dissertation]. Hai Dian, Beijing, China: Tsinghua University. 100.
19.
LiZ., YuJ., YangM., ZhangJ., BurchM.D., and HanW. (2010). Cyanobacterial population and harmful metabolites dynamics during a bloom in Yanghe Reservoir, north china. Harmful Algae. 9, 481.
20.
LuY., AllenH. (2006). A predictive model for copper partitioning to suspended particulate matter in river waters. Environ. Pollut., 143, 60.
21.
MaY.L., XiongC.Y., and YiW.P. (2003). Sedimentary characteristics and developing trend of sediments in Poyang Lake, Jiangxi province. Resour. Sur. Environ., 24, 29.
22.
PallierV., Feuillade-CathalifaudG., SerpaudB., and BollingerJ.C. (2010). Effect of organic matter on arsenic removal during coagulation/flocculation treatment. J. Colloid Interface Sci., 342, 26.
23.
PanG., ChenJ., and AndersonD.M. (2011). Modified local sands for the mitigation of harmful algal blooms. Harmful Algae. 10, 381.
24.
PanG., ZhangM.M., ChenH., ZouH., and YanH. (2006a). Removal of cyanobacterial blooms in Taihu Lake using local soils. i. Equilibrium and kinetic screening on the flocculation of Microcystis aeruginosa, using commercially available clays and minerals. Environ. Pollut., 141, 195.
25.
PanG., ZouH., ChenH., and YuanX. (2006b). Removal of harmful cyanobacterial blooms in Taihu Lake using local soils. iii. Factors affecting the removal efficiency and an in situ field experiment using chitosan-modified local soils. Environ. Poll., 141, 206.
26.
ParkH., KimS., and ChangH. (2001). Brownian dynamic simulation for the aggregation of charged particles. J. Aerosol Sci., 32, 1369.
27.
ReynoldsC.S. (1984). Phytoplankton periodicity: The interactions of form, function and environmental variability. Freshwater Biol. 14, 111.
28.
RichardD. R., and ZoharyT. (1987). Temperature effects on photosynthetic capacity, respiration, and growth rates of bloom-forming cyanobacteria. N. Z. J. Mar. Freshwater Res. 21, 391.
29.
ShangX., HuN., and ZhouG. (2015). Calculation of the repulsive force between two clay particles. Comput. Geotechnics., 69, 272.
30.
SusanaA., and PhlipsE.J. (1992). Light absorption by cyanobacteria: Implications of the colonial growth form. Limnol. Oceanogr., 37, 434.
31.
TangY., ZhangH., LiuX., CaiD., FengH., MiaoC., WangX., WuZ., and YuZ. (2011). Flocculation of harmful algal blooms by modified attapulgite and its safety evaluation. Water Res. 45, 2855.
32.
TunaA., YaşarB.I., and KutukcuS. (2003). A molecular dynamics simulation study of nanoparticle interactions in a model polymer-nanoparticle composite. Comp. Sci. Technol., 63, 1599.
33.
van ApeldoornM.E., van EgmondH.P., SpeijersG.J., and BakkerG.J. (2007). Toxins of cyanobacteria. Mol. Nutr. Food Res., 51, 7.
34.
WallingD.E., and MooreheadP.W. (1989). The particle size characteristics of fluvial suspended sediment: An overview. Hydrobiologia. 176, 125.
35.
WangY.B., HouZ.Y., YeB.B., CaoJ., ChuZ.S., and ZengQ.R. (2015). The characteristics of spatial and temporal variations of phytoplankton in Poyang Lake and their influencing factors. J. Environ. Sci. (China)., 35, 1310.
36.
WatersT.F. (1995). Sediment in Streams. Bethesda, MD: American Fisheries Society Monograph, 7.
37.
WatsonS. (2004). Aquatic taste and odor: A primary signal of drinking-water integrity. J. Toxicol. Environ. Health., 67, 1779.
38.
WatsonS.B., CharltonM., RaoY.R., HowellT., RidalJ., BrownleeB., MarvinC., and MillardS. (2007). Off flavours in large waterbodies: Physics, chemistry and biology in synchrony. Water Sci. Technol., 55, 1.
39.
WuZ., CaiY., LiuX., XuC.P., ChenY., and ZhangL. (2013). Temporal and spatial variability of phytoplankton in Lake Poyang: The largest freshwater lake in china. J. Great Lakes Res., 39, 476.
40.
WuZ., LaiX., ZhangL., CaiY., and ChenY. (2014). Phytoplankton chlorophyll a in Lake Poyang and its tributaries during dry, mid-dry and wet seasons: A 4-year study. Knowl. Manag. Aquat. Ecosyst., 136, 26.
41.
WyattN.B., GloeL.M., BradyP.V., HewsonJ.C., GrilletA.M., HankinsM.G., et al. (2012). Critical conditions for ferric chloride-induced flocculation of freshwater algae. Biotechnol. Bioeng., 109, 493.
42.
XieL., XieP., LiS., TangH., and LiuH. (2003). The low TN: TP ratio, a cause or a result of Microcystis blooms?. Water Res. 37, 2073.
43.
YangZ., KongF., ShiX., ZhangM., XingP., and CaoH. (2008). Changes in the morphology and polysaccharide content of Microcystis aeruginosa (Cyanobacteria) during flagellate grazing (1). J. Phycol., 44, 716.
44.
ZouH., PanG., ChenH., and YuanX. (2006). Removal of cyanobacterial blooms in Taihu Lake using local soils. ii. Effective removal of Microcystis aeruginosa using local soils and sediments modified by chitosan. Environ. Pollu., 141, 201.
