Water-lifting aerator reduces algal growth in stratified drinking water reservoir: Novel insights into algal metabolic profiling and engineering applications

Haihan Zhang; Miaomiao Yan; Tinglin Huang; Xin Huang; Shangye Yang; Nan Li; Na Wang

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115384

Water-lifting aerator reduces algal growth in stratified drinking water reservoir: Novel insights into algal metabolic profiling and engineering applications

Environ Pollut. 2020 Nov;266(Pt 1):115384. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115384. Epub 2020 Aug 12.

Authors

Haihan Zhang¹, Miaomiao Yan¹, Tinglin Huang², Xin Huang¹, Shangye Yang¹, Nan Li¹, Na Wang¹

Affiliations

¹ Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, China; School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, China; Xi'an Key Laboratory of Water Source and Water Quality Guarantee, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, China.
² Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, MOE, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, China; School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, China; Xi'an Key Laboratory of Water Source and Water Quality Guarantee, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an, 710055, China. Electronic address: huangtinglin@xauat.edu.cn.

PMID: 32823043
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115384

Abstract

Water-lifting aerator (WLA) which was developed by Professor Tinglin Huang at Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, China has multi-functional water quality improvement that significantly inhibits the occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in deep drinking water reservoirs. However, the biological mechanism of WLA to the suppress algal growth has not been comprehensively understood. Here, the cellular mechanism that allows WLA to control HABs was explored based on the combination of both laboratory simulation and field investigation. Under simulated hydrodynamic conditions, the results showed that the cell density, chlorophyll a content, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and dehydrogenase activity in Microcystis aeruginosa all peaked under light conditions at 25 °C. The metabolic activity of M. aeruginosa varied significantly under low temperature at 6 °C and light conditions when cultured for 48 h. The extracellular organic matter (EOM) and intracellular organic matter (IOM) contents of M. aeruginosa were both resolved into three components. Moreover, the total fluorescence intensities from EOM and IOM both peaked under light conditions at 25 °C. The field investigation showed that the growth of algae was decreased significantly in Lijiahe drinking water reservoir with WLA application. The chlorophyll fluorescence parameters decreased significantly after vertical mixing, thereby indicating that the WLA weakened the photosynthetic ability and reduced the biological activity of algae in situ. In addition, the WLA significantly affected the vertical distribution of the phytoplankton community composition. Altogether, these results shed new lights on understanding the control of algal blooms by WLA in stratified drinking water reservoirs. WLA has broad prospect of engineering applications, which can control algal blooms of water supply resources in situ, therefore, reduce the content of disinfection by-products in drinking water treatment plants.

Keywords: Artificial mixing; Chlorophyll fluorescence parameter; Drinking water reservoir; Harmful algal blooms; Water-lifting aerator (WLA).

MeSH terms

China
Chlorophyll A
Drinking Water*
Harmful Algal Bloom
Lifting
Microcystis*
Water Quality

Substances

Drinking Water
Chlorophyll A