The proliferation rule of Microcystis aeruginosa under different initial pH conditions and its influence on the pH value of the environment

Sijie Wei,Guanjie Zhuang,Lirijian Cheng,Shoubing Wang

doi:10.1007/s11356-021-16719-9

Sijie Wei, Guanjie Zhuang + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16719-9

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Abstract

This study investigated the characteristics of the proliferation process of Microcystis aeruginosa and its changes to environmental pH values under different initial pH values and different initial inoculation densities. The results showed that although the initial pH value or the initial inoculation density was different, the pH values of the culture systems fluctuated up and down throughout the proliferation of M. aeruginosa, both on a daily and hourly time scale, and then tended to stabilize around the same value of 10.0 at the end of proliferation. The optimal pH value for the proliferation of M. aeruginosa was 9.55. This study creatively proposes that the period when the environmental pH value starts to rise rapidly toward 9.0 could be selected as an early warning period for a cyanobacterial outbreak, and the environmental pH value could be adjusted to below 8.0 to delay the outbreak. These results provide a scientific basis for further understanding the mechanism of cyanobacterial blooms and formulating pH-based control strategies.

Highlights

Cyanobacterial blooms remain a highly concerning water environmental issue around the world (CasillasItuarte et al 2020; Mellios et al 2020; Weber et al 2020)
Regardless of the initial pH value or the initial inoculation density, the pH values of the algal cultures tended to stabilize around the same value of 10.0 at the end of M. aeruginosa proliferation (Fig. 3a), which was consistent with the results of Cao et al (2016) and Acuña-Alonso et al (2020) obtained by simulating the water environment of Dianchi Lake
This study simultaneously studied the effects of algae proliferation on the environmental pH value under multiple initial pH values and different initial inoculation densities (Figs. 3 and 4) and confirmed that regardless of the initial conditions, the pH value of the algal culture tended to be the same at the end of M. aeruginosa proliferation

Summary

Introduction

Cyanobacterial blooms remain a highly concerning water environmental issue around the world (CasillasItuarte et al 2020; Mellios et al 2020; Weber et al 2020). The control of endogenous factors has become one of the main areas of research to curb and prevent outbreaks of cyanobacterial blooms (Wang et al 2016a; Wang et al 2016b). Many endogenous factors, such as pH, water temperature, flow velocity, wind speed, light, nutrient concentration (nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), carbon (C), etc.) and biological community structure, may restrict bloom outbreaks (Davis et al 2015; Huang et al 2020; Jiang et al 2019; Kim et al 2020; Ma et al 2015; Santos et al 2011). Whether outbreaks of cyanobacterial blooms can be controlled or restrained by adjusting the pH value of the water is a scientific question worthy of further exploration

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