Suppression of cyanobacterial blooms using hydrogen peroxide: effects on phytoplankton and bacteria
Start Date
27-5-2022 11:30 AM
End Date
27-5-2022 11:45 AM
Abstract
Applying low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 ) to lakes is an emerging method to mitigate harmful cyanobacterial blooms. While cyanobacteria are very sensitive to H2O2, little is known about the impacts of these H2O2 treatments on other members of the microbial community. In this study, we investigated changes in microbial community composition during two lake treatments with low H2O2 concentrations (target: 2.5 mg L−1 ) and in two series of controlled lake incubations. The results show that the H2O2 treatments effectively suppressed the dominant cyanobacteria Aphanizomenon klebahnii, Dolichospermum sp. and, to a lesser extent, Planktothrix agardhii. Microbial community analysis revealed that several Proteobacteria (e.g., Alteromonadales, Pseudomonadales, Rhodobacterales) profited from the treatments, whereas some bacterial taxa declined (e.g., Verrucomicrobia). In particular, the taxa known to be resistant to oxidative stress (e.g., Rheinheimera) strongly increased in relative abundance during the first 24h after H2O2 addition, but subsequently declined again. Alpha and beta diversity showed a temporary decline but recovered within a few days, demonstrating resilience of the microbial community. We conclude that the use of low concentrations of H2O2 to suppress cyanobacterial blooms provides a short-term pulse disturbance, but is not detrimental to lake microbial communities and their ecosystem functioning.
Suppression of cyanobacterial blooms using hydrogen peroxide: effects on phytoplankton and bacteria
Applying low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 ) to lakes is an emerging method to mitigate harmful cyanobacterial blooms. While cyanobacteria are very sensitive to H2O2, little is known about the impacts of these H2O2 treatments on other members of the microbial community. In this study, we investigated changes in microbial community composition during two lake treatments with low H2O2 concentrations (target: 2.5 mg L−1 ) and in two series of controlled lake incubations. The results show that the H2O2 treatments effectively suppressed the dominant cyanobacteria Aphanizomenon klebahnii, Dolichospermum sp. and, to a lesser extent, Planktothrix agardhii. Microbial community analysis revealed that several Proteobacteria (e.g., Alteromonadales, Pseudomonadales, Rhodobacterales) profited from the treatments, whereas some bacterial taxa declined (e.g., Verrucomicrobia). In particular, the taxa known to be resistant to oxidative stress (e.g., Rheinheimera) strongly increased in relative abundance during the first 24h after H2O2 addition, but subsequently declined again. Alpha and beta diversity showed a temporary decline but recovered within a few days, demonstrating resilience of the microbial community. We conclude that the use of low concentrations of H2O2 to suppress cyanobacterial blooms provides a short-term pulse disturbance, but is not detrimental to lake microbial communities and their ecosystem functioning.