Nualgi in Lagoon STPs and dams in Queensland, Australia

http://nualgienviro.com.au/an-overview-of-trials-using-nualgi-in-lagoon-stps-and-dams-in-queensland-australia/

An Overview of Trials Using Nualgi in Lagoon STPs and dams in Queensland, Australia

This entry was posted in CyanobacteriaDiatomsHarmful AlgaeNutrient managementSewage TreatmentToxic AlgaeWastewater Treatment on September 21, 2015 by simonadmint

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This blog post is somewhat more technical than some of the other posts I have done to date. The reason for this is that I am presenting actual data! Yes! The numbers are in and I have graphs, relationships and hypotheses to offer. So if you are interested in the more analytical side of things then I hope you enjoy this post. As we are moving towards summer here in Australia things are warming up so the cyanobacteria are getting more active and the use of Nualgi in these tests is going to get properly tested to see how good it is. I hope you enjoy the report and as always, feel free to contact me if you want to know more.

Nualgi is a nano-silica nutrient mixture that has all the micronutrients required for growth of diatom microalgae adsorbed into the amorphous nano-silica structure. As only diatoms have a requirement to take up silica, they are the only algae that benefit from the micro-nutrient boost. This means that the diatoms successfully out-compete the other algae for nutrients, and reduce blue-green algae growth in a natural way. The process is non-toxic and offers an added benefit in that bacterial activity is enhanced due to the increased dissolved oxygen content from the diatom bloom. This increase in dissolved oxygen and bacterial activity will assist in bringing down the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in the wastewater. 

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Summary

The three trials presented here are each slightly different in regard to the conditions of the STP or the water being treated.  Trials 1 and 2 have both shown a strong change in the percentage of the BGA that make up the Total Cell count.  A similar pattern may slowly be emerging in Trial 3 which has a lower N concentration.

The Total Cell Counts in all trials have been seen to reduce markedly from the starting values.  Trial 2 has shown some recovery of non BGA algae, although this stage may be transitory as the lagoon continues to settle toward having a higher DO and lower BGA population.

Because of the increased activity of diatoms, especially benthic diatoms, induced by the addition of Nualgi there have been several positive changes to the water quality.  In Trial 3, a reduction in the pH and a qualitative assessment that the invertebrate populations in the water have increased suggest that the water is progressively returning to a more stable environment in which algae other than BGAs may proliferate and the nutrients will shift from being retained in algal cycles and may now move up the food chain through the invertebrates and into higher animals such as fish, eels and birds.

Longer trials are needed to assess the long term use of Nualgi in managing nutrients and controlling Blue Green Algae growth, but these three trials are strongly indicative that the use of Nualgi is a simple and effective pathway to achieve this outcome.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0104325

Rising CO2 Levels Will Intensify Phytoplankton Blooms in Eutrophic and Hypertrophic Lakes

Abstract

Harmful algal blooms threaten the water quality of many eutrophic and hypertrophic lakes and cause severe ecological and economic damage worldwide. Dense blooms often deplete the dissolved CO2 concentration and raise pH. Yet, quantitative prediction of the feedbacks between phytoplankton growth, CO2 drawdown and the inorganic carbon chemistry of aquatic ecosystems has received surprisingly little attention. Here, we develop a mathematical model to predict dynamic changes in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), pH and alkalinity during phytoplankton bloom development. We tested the model in chemostat experiments with the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa at different CO2 levels. The experiments showed that dense blooms sequestered large amounts of atmospheric CO2, not only by their own biomass production but also by inducing a high pH and alkalinity that enhanced the capacity for DIC storage in the system. We used the model to explore how phytoplankton blooms of eutrophic waters will respond to rising CO2 levels. The model predicts that (1) dense phytoplankton blooms in low- and moderately alkaline waters can deplete the dissolved CO2concentration to limiting levels and raise the pH over a relatively wide range of atmospheric CO2conditions, (2) rising atmospheric CO2 levels will enhance phytoplankton blooms in low- and moderately alkaline waters with high nutrient loads, and (3) above some threshold, rising atmospheric CO2 will alleviate phytoplankton blooms from carbon limitation, resulting in less intense CO2 depletion and a lesser increase in pH. Sensitivity analysis indicated that the model predictions were qualitatively robust. Quantitatively, the predictions were sensitive to variation in lake depth, DIC input and CO2 gas transfer across the air-water interface, but relatively robust to variation in the carbon uptake mechanisms of phytoplankton. In total, these findings warn that rising CO2 levels may result in a marked intensification of phytoplankton blooms in eutrophic and hypertrophic waters.

Manage cyanobacterial blooms using adapted Bacillus cereus

http://www.soley.cn/controlling-algae.html

Controlling Algal Bloom

Exact and permanent solution for toxic algal-bloom by organic way.

Manage cyanobacterial blooms easily by using adapted Bacillus cereus without any environmental damage.

Adapted Bacillus cereus is capable of lysing cyanobacterial cells.
Bacillius cereus produce nontoxic substances for against microalgae microcystis.

Required strain for each 1 m3 water - 0,02ml

1800 USD per 100 ml
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Thus cost for 1 million liters is $ 360.

Nualgi required for 1 million liters is 1 kg - $ 10.

Bacillus cereus only kills the cyanobacteria and will not deal with the N and P in the water, hence the cyanobacteria may again bloom after a few weeks.

Diatoms will consume the N and P and hence is a permanent solution.

Cyanobacteria abundance and its relationship to water quality in the Mid-Cross River floodplain, Nigeria

http://www.scielo.sa.cr/scielo.php?pid=S0034-77442009000100004&script=sci_arttext

Cyanobacteria abundance and its relationship to water quality in the Mid-Cross River floodplain, Nigeria
Okogwu Okechukwu I.1 & Ugwumba Alex O.2

Cyanobacteria abundance was fairly high between seasons and stations. This may be attributed to the presence of still waters in the several ponds and lakes within the Cross River floodplain with conditions conducive for the proliferation of these plankton groups. Still blackwater was suggested by del Giorgio et al. (1992) to be the likely sources of cyanobacteria bloom in rivers. In line with this, cyanobacteria abundance was remarkably higher in the lakes than in the open water. High cyanobacteria abundance in the lake was mainly attributed to crustacean grazing activities, which depleted the smaller edible algae to the advantage of the cyanobacteria (Okogwu 2008). Cyanobacteria are known to be less palatable and less attractive to zooplankton (especially cladocerans), so they receive little grazing attention (Relevante and Gilmartin 1982, Repka 1996). In cladoceran dominated lakes, cyanobacteria are known to have high densities as the grazing activities of this group of zooplankton effectively eliminate other competing alga from the phytoplankton community. This may explain the higher density of cyanobacteria recorded during the wet season compared to the dry season in most of the stations as cladoceran density attained peak in these lakes during the wet season (Okogwu 2008). The density of green algae and diatom was reported to be very low during this period (wet season) (Okogwu 2008). Grazing zooplankton remove their natural competitors (small alga) releasing nutrients to them (Repka 1996). However cyanobacteria are generally harmful to zooplankton by clogging their feeding apparatus, toxin production and poor nutritional quality of the cells (DeMott et al. 2001, Sterner and Elser 2002, Jang et al. 2003). Therefore, the cyanobacteria abundance recorded in the floodplains of the Cross River should be of concern as these are the breeding grounds of the important fishes of the river notably Chrysichthys nigroditatus, Clarias gariepinus Oreochromis niloticus and Tilapia zilli during the wet season. Fish larvae exposed to cyanobacterial toxin showed reduced feeding and growth rate (Baganz et al. 1998).

Freshwater Harmful Algal Bloom

http://www.freshwaterhablegislation.com/

Welcome to www.FreshwaterHABLegislation.com

This website supports advancement of the proposed Freshwater Harmful Algal Bloom Research and Control Act (FHAB Act) in the 111th U.S. Congress. An informal coalition of freshwater researchers and managers, and other interested parties, is attempting to provide the public support needed by the U.S. Senate’s Environment & Public Works Committee (Sen. Barbara Boxer, chair) and the U.S. House of Representative’s Science & Technology Committee’s (Rep. Bart Gordon, Chair) Subcommittee on Energy and Environment (Rep. Brian Baird, Chair) for introduction and enactment of the FHAB Act. The coalition is led by Drs. H. Kenneth Hudnell and Wayne Carmichael.

Cyanobacteria (a.k.a. blue-green algae) are the predominant FHAB organisms. Their populations rapidly expand during appropriate conditions of nutrients, warmth, sunlight and quiescent or stagnant water. Dozens of cyanobacteria species produce some of the most potent toxins known. These toxins, cyanotoxins, cause lethal, sub-lethal and chronic effects in humans and other organisms. Cyanotoxins occur in finished drinking water, as well as in recreational waters. Bloom biomasses adversely impact aquatic biota, including massive fish kills caused by hypoxia and/or toxin secretions when the cells die and decay. There is widespread agreement among scientists and water quality managers that the incidence of blooms in freshwater bodies is increasing in the U.S. and worldwide. Every year FHABs occur where they were not observed previously, and FHAB durations increase. Global climate change, rising freshwater usage demand, excessive nutrient inputs to freshwater and poor water management practices are driving much of the increase. The economic costs of FHABs and eutrophication in U.S. freshwaters are conservatively estimated to be $2.2-4.6 billion annually.

The FHAB Act is needed to mandate that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establish a National Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms Research Plan (FHABRP) so that Federal policy can be developed. The EPA has purview over all U.S. freshwater bodies, but has not made regulatory determinations or established guidelines for FHABs due to the lack of sufficient scientific information on FHAB occurrence, dose-response health effects and control methodology. The Agency has not established the FHABRP because of the lack of a clear Congressional directive. The World Health Organization and a number of other countries have established regulations or guidelines. The FHAB Act is needed if we are to protect human health, aquatic ecosystems and the U.S. economy from the looming crisis posed by FHABs.

The EPA listed Microcystins, Cylindrospermopsin and Anatoxin-a as highest priority cyanotoxins, and Saxitoxin and Anatoxin-a(s) as medium to high priority. Research is needed to assess the frequency and concentrations with which cyanobacteria and these cyanotoxins occur in recreational and finished drinking waters. Health research is needed to obtain cyanotoxin dose-response data for establishing Reference Doses (ingested compounds), Reference Concentrations (inhaled compounds) and cancer assessments. Risk management research is needed to assess the efficacy and sustainability of ecological and chemical approaches to FHAB control. No Federal research funds currently target this research. The FHAB Act and subsequent fund allocations are needed to establish the FHABRP so the research can be accomplished.

Congress was informed of the need for the FHAB Act through testimony given to the Science & Technology Committee by Dr. Hudnell in July 2008. The FHAB Act is modeled after the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (1998, 2004) that directed the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a research plan for coastal HABs. FHAB Act funds would be administered through the three competitive, research grant programs established by NOAA – ECOHAB, MERHAB & PCM HAB.

This website includes a repository of all Emails sent to coalition members and all letters drafted for submission to Congress. If you would like to join the FHAB legislation coalition, click on the Join Email List button above.

The website is hosted on a SolarBee, Inc. server where additional information on FHABs can be obtained in the Science Office section. For additional information, Email Dr. Hudnell.

Thank you for your support of the FHAB ACT.

Last updated June 1, 2009.