Science Inventory

Periodic Addition of Glucose Suppressed Cyanobacterial Abundance in Additive Lake Water Samples during the Entire Bloom Season

Citation:

Linz, D., I. Struewing, N. Sienkiewicz, A. Steinman, C. Partridge, K. McIntosh, J. Lu, AND S. Vesper. Periodic Addition of Glucose Suppressed Cyanobacterial Abundance in Additive Lake Water Samples during the Entire Bloom Season. Journal of Water Resource and Protection. Scientific Research Publishing, Inc., Irvine, CA, 16:140-15, (2024). https://doi.org/10.4236/jwarp.2024.162009

Impact/Purpose:

Cyanobacteria blooms are occurring more frequently in freshwater bodies worldwide. Harmful cyanobacterial blooms (HCBs), and the toxins they produce, are a threat to drinking- and recreational-water safety and the aquatic ecosystem.  Therefore, prevention of harmful cyanobacteria blooms (HCBs) is a critical concern as the demand for water resources increases. Current HCB control measures involve the addition of an algicide (e.g., copper) once the bloom has developed and these algicides are dangerous to handle, are toxic and can bioaccumulate. Our goal in this study was to test the addition of glusoce to Lake water to prevent HCB development for the entire bloom season. 

Description:

Previously, we showed that prophylactic addition of glucose to Harsha Lake water samples could inhibit cyanobacteria growth, at least for a short period of time. The current study tested cyanobacterial control with glucose for the entire Harsha Lake bloom season. Water samples (1000 ml) were collected weekly from Harsha Lake during the algal-bloom season starting June 9 and lasting until August 24, 2022. To each of two 7-liter polypropylene containers, 500 ml of Harsha Lake water was added, and the containers were placed in a controlled environment chamber. To one container labeled “Treated,” 0.15 g of glucose was added, and nothing was added to the container labeled “Control.” After that, three 25 ml samples from each container were collected and used for 16S rRNA gene sequencing each week. Then 1000 ml of Harsha Lake water was newly collected each week, with 500 ml added to each container, along with the addition of 0.15 g glucose to the “Treated” container. Sequencing data were used to examine differences in the composition of bacterial communities between Treated and Control containers. Treatment with glucose altered the microbial communities by 1) reducing taxonomic diversity, 2) largely eliminating cyanobacterial taxa, and 3) increasing the relative abundance of subsets of non-cyanobacterial taxa (such as Proteobacteria and Actinobacteriota). These effects were observed across time despite weekly inputs derived directly from Lake water. The addition of glucose to a container receiving weekly additions of Lake water suppressed the cyanobacterial populations during the entire summer bloom season. The glucose appears to stimulate the diversity of certain bacterial taxa at the expense of the cyanobacteria.

Record Details:

Record Type:DOCUMENT( JOURNAL/ PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL)
Product Published Date:02/23/2024
Record Last Revised:02/23/2024
OMB Category:Other
Record ID: 360527