Pathogen removal in high-rate algae pond: state of the art and opportunities

High-rate algae ponds (HRAPs) are wastewater treatment systems that enable combining cost-efficient secondary treatment at small scale with the production of a harvestable biomass for subsequent valorisation (e.g. biofuel). However, there is still limited data on pathogen removal during long-term HRAP operation with real effluents. This critical review evaluates the potential significance of mechanisms driving pathogen removal in classical wastewater ponds in light of the specific environmental conditions occurring in HRAPs. We thus establish that the presence of algae (at high cell density) increases sunlight attenuation in HRAP and this attenuation negatively impacts sunlight-mediated pathogen removal. However, mixing may counteract the negative effect of light attenuation by increasing the frequency of pathogen exposure to high light intensity near the culture surface in HRAPs. The magnitude of sunlight-mediated pathogen removal is also likely increased at high pH and dissolved oxygen concentrations, two conditions frequently co-occurring in HRAPs harbouring intense algal activity. Exposure to high pH and toxic algae metabolites may further enhance pathogen decay in HRAPs but these mechanisms are still poorly understood. Finally, predation may be significant, but little is known about the quantitative impact of this mechanism in classical ponds and HRAPs. Overall, and with the exception of settling, all pathogen removal mechanisms known to occur in maturation ponds should remain significant in HRAPs. While this pathogen removal ability has been verified in a few studies, further research must now seek to develop a better mechanistic understanding based on the study of real systems.

     

Microalgal assemblages in a poikilohaline pond

Microalgal strains for algal biofuels production in outdoor ponds will need to have high net growth rates under diverse environmental conditions. A small, variable salinity pond in the San Elijo Lagoon estuary in southern California was chosen to serve as a model pond due to its routinely high chlorophyll content. Profiles of microalgal assemblages from water samples collected from April 2011 to January 2012 were obtained by constructing 18S rDNA environmental clone libraries. Pond assemblages were found to be dominated by green algae Picochlorum sp. and Picocystis sp. throughout the year. Pigment analysis suggested that the two species contributed most of the chlorophyll a of the pond, which ranged from 21.9 to 664.3 μg · L^?1 with the Picocystis contribution increasing at higher salinities. However, changes of temperature, salinity or irradiance may have enabled a bloom of the diatom Chaetoceros sp. in June 2011. Isolates of these microalgae were obtained and their growth rates characterized as a function of temperature and salinity. Chaetoceros sp. had the highest growth rate over the temperature test range while it showed the most sensitivity to high salinity. All three strains showed the presence of lipid bodies during nitrogen starvation, suggesting they have potential as future biofuels strains.     

Population structure and morphology of South African deep-water parapagurid hermit crabs

The parapagurid hermit crabs Sympagurus dimorphus (Studer, 1883) and Parapagurus bouvieri (Stebbing, 1910) form dominant components of South African deeper-water benthic invertebrate communities and, as adults, forego the use of “traditional” gastropod shells in favour of symbiotically associated Epizoanthus carcinoecia. A total of 1,122 adult S. dimorphus and 549 adult P. bouvieri derived from demersal research trawl surveys were examined to investigate parameters of population structure, carcinoecia association and morphology. S. dimorphus had a female-biased sex ratio of 1:1.5, and P. bouvieri an equal sex ratio of 1:1. The proportion of males of both species increased with cephalothoracic shield length (CL). The lengths of the major right chelipeds of both S. dimorphus males and females, and P. bouvieri males were positively allometric, and negatively allometric in P. bouvieri females. All P. bouvieri inhabited carcinoecia, while 3.39% (n = 38) of S. dimorphus specimens occupied gastropod shells. There was a positive relationship between S. dimorphus CL and rate of gastropod shell occupation (r² = 0.96). In S. dimorphus, number of zoanthid polyps forming the carcinoecia pseudoshell increased with both total shell volume (R² = 0.73) and colony height (R² = 0.61), but no such relationships were found for P. bouvieri. Euspira napus was the most common original shell around which carcinoecia developed in both S. dimorphus (45.45%) and P. bouvieri (39.00%). We speculate that these hermit species exist along an evolutionary continuum of carcinoecia use. Sympagurus dimorphus retains the ability to occupy both gastropod shells and pseudoshells and, like most other hermit crabs, continue to use shells/carcinoecia as shelters to protect the entire body. In contrast, adult P. bouvieri appear to be totally reliant on carcinoecia, which they use more as a brood pouch covering only the abdomen, rather than as a shelter into which they can fully retract to escape predation.     

Effects of eutrophication and snails on Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) invasion

Exotic species can invade and establish new habitats both as a result of their own traits, and as a result of the characteristics of the environment they invade. Here, we show that the abundance of the invasive submerged aquatic plant, Myriophyllum spicatum (Eurasian watermilfoil) is highly dependent on the conditions of the environment in a mesocosm experiment. M. spicatum is allelopathic towards epiphytic algae, and in the absence of algivorous snails, we found that the abundance of both algae and M. spicatum significantly increased with experimentally increased nutrient loading, while the abundance of native submerged macrophytes declined. However, when snails were present, snail biomass increased with increasing nutrient loading, and M. spicatum biomass was consistently low while native submerged macrophyte biomass was consistently high. Our results stress the importance of the interaction between species traits and environmental conditions when considering the invasiveness of certain exotic species and the invasibility of certain environments.     

Wastewater treatment high rate algal ponds for biofuel production

While research and development of algal biofuels are currently receiving much interest and funding, they are still not commercially viable at today’s fossil fuel prices. However, a niche opportunity may exist where algae are grown as a by-product of high rate algal ponds (HRAPs) operated for wastewater treatment. In addition to significantly better economics, algal biofuel production from wastewater treatment HRAPs has a much smaller environmental footprint compared to commercial algal production HRAPs which consume freshwater and fertilisers. In this paper the critical parameters that limit algal cultivation, production and harvest are reviewed and practical options that may enhance the net harvestable algal production from wastewater treatment HRAPs including CO₂ addition, species control, control of grazers and parasites and bioflocculation are discussed.     

Disturbance from pond management obscures local and regional drivers of assemblages of primary producers

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Resistance of bioparticles formed of phosphate-accumulating bacteria and zeolite to harsh environmental conditions

Extreme environmental conditions, such as pH fluctuations, high concentrations of toxicants or grazing of protozoa, can potentially be found in wastewater treatment systems. This study was carried out to provide specific evidence on how ‘bioparticles’ can resist these conditions. The term ‘bioparticle’ is used to describe a particle comprising natural zeolitized tuff with a developed biofilm of the phosphate-accumulating bacterial species, Acinetobacter junii, on the surface. The bacteria in the biofilm were protected from the negative influence of extremely low pH, high concentrations of benzalkonium-chloride and grazing by Paramecium caudatum and Euplotes affinis, even under conditions that caused complete eradication of planktonic bacteria. During an incubation of 24?h, the biofilms were maintained and bacteria detached from the bioparticles, thus bioaugmenting the wastewater. The bioparticles provided a safe environment for the survival of bacteria in harsh environmental conditions and could be used for successful bioaugmentation in wastewater treatment plants.     

Application of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gracilaria lichenoides</Emphasis> (Rhodophyta) for alleviating excess nutrients in aquaculture

A study was conducted in Xiangshan Bay, Ningbo, China, using red alga Gracilaria lichenoides to alleviate nutrient pollution in shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and fish (Epinephelus awoara) culture ponds. Our results showed that G. lichenoides was efficient at absorbing inorganic nitrogen (IN) and inorganic phosphate (IP), and maintained a more stable dissolved oxygen (DO) level. A total of 506.5 kg (1,013 kg ha⁻¹) of shrimp and 210.5 kg (421 kg ha⁻¹) of fish were harvested from the shrimp/algae (SA) and fish/algae (FA) ponds, respectively. Only 53.5 kg shrimp were harvested from the shrimp pond without Gracilaria (S) due to anoxic asphyxia, and 163 kg fish were harvested from the fish culture pond without Gracilaria (F). Compared with using microalgae, bioremediation by macroalgae has no risk of harmful algal blooms (HABs), and it is easy to control seaweed biomass. During the experiment, there was a better environmental condition (lower chemical oxygen demand, IN, IP and chlorophyll a concentrations) in the ponds with Gracilaria. Furthermore, Gracilaria spp. can be used as food for abalone or other aquacultured animals and thus enhance economic return.     

The role of historic and climatic factors in the distribution of crustacean communities in Iberian Mediterranean ponds

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Baseline water quality of municipal ponds and metal removal ability of Typha latifolia L. from sewage and industrial wastewaters

Municipal effluent of three rural settings of Islamabad was assessed for physicochemical and microbiological parameters by collecting wastewater from inlet and center of ponds. Results showed that water quality was comparatively better at the center as Typha latifolia plants were growing toward the center of ponds. In another study, the wastewater treatment ability of T. latifolia was investigated by growing them in industrial and municipal effluent under greenhouse conditions. Water and plant samples were collected periodically (3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31st day after transplanting) for the measurement of Pb, Cu, and Cd concentrations. A decrease in heavy metal concentration of both effluents was observed as the experiment progressed and metal removal percentages ranged between 81% and 96%. Complementary the increase in metal concentration in plant tissues was observed over experimental period. Among plant tissues, metal concentration of Pb was highest i.e. 362 mg kg^?1 in roots and 313 mg kg^?1 in shoots at end of experiment. Pb, Cu, and Cd concentrations were higher in roots than shoots and hence translocation factors were less than 1.0. Metal removal efficiency was better from industrial wastewater and was in order of Pb > Cu > Cd. T. latifolia can be used for remediation of heavy metal-polluted wastewater.     

Filling ephemeral ponds affects development and phenotypic expression in Ambystoma talpoideum

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Regulation of blue-green algal buoyancy and bloom formation by light,inorganic nitrogen,C02, and trophic level interactions

In highly eutrophic ponds, buoyancy of the gas-vacuolate blue-green alga Anabaenopsis Elenkinii (Miller) was regulated by complex interactions between chemical and physical parameters, as well as by biological interactions between various trophic levels. Algal buoyancy and surface bloom formation were enhanced markedly by decreased light intensity, and to a lesser extent by decreased CO₂ availability and increased availability of inorganic nitrogen. In the absence of dense populations of large-bodied Cladocera, early season blooms of diatoms and green algae reduced light availability in the ponds thus creating conditions favorable for increased buoyancy and bloom formation by A. Elenkinii. The appearance of blue-green algal blooms could be prevented by a reduced density of planktivorous fish, which allowed development of dense cladoceran populations. The cladocerans limited the growth of precursory blooms of diatoms and green algae, and given the resulting clear-water conditions, buoyancy of A. Elenkinii was reduced, and blue-green algal blooms never appeared.     

Vernalophrys algivore gen. nov., sp. nov. (Rhizaria: Cercozoa: Vampyrellida), a New Algal Predator Isolated from Outdoor Mass Culture of Scenedesmus dimorphus

Microbial contamination is the main cause of loss of biomass yield in microalgal cultures, especially under outdoor environmental conditions. Little is known about the identities of microbial contaminants in outdoor mass algal cultures. In this study, a new genus and species of vampyrellid amoeba, Vernalophrys algivore, is described from cultures of Scenedesmus dimorphus in open raceway ponds and outdoor flat-panel photobioreactors. This vampyrellid amoeba was a significant grazer of Scenedesmus and was frequently associated with a very rapid decline in algal numbers. We report on the morphology, subcellular structure, feeding behavior, molecular phylogeny, and life cycle. The new amoeba resembles Leptophrys in the shape of trophozoites and pseudopodia and in the mechanism of feeding (mainly by engulfment). It possesses two distinctive regions in helix E10_1 (nucleotides 117 to 119, CAA) and E23_1 (nucleotides 522 and 523, AG) of the 18S rRNA gene. It did not form a monophyletic group with Leptophrys in molecular phylogenetic trees. We establish a new genus, Vernalophrys, with the type species Vernalophrys algivore. The occurrence, impact of the amoeba on mass culture of S. dimorphus, and means to reduce vampyrellid amoeba contamination in Scenedesmus cultures are addressed. The information obtained from this study will be useful for developing an early warning system and control measures for preventing or treating this contaminant in microalgal mass cultures.     

金沙江上段浮游藻类和着生藻类群落格局及其与环境因子的关系比较研究

比较河流浮游藻类和着生藻类群落的时空格局及其与环境因子关系的差异,有助于了解两类藻的区别与联系。然而,目前这方面的研究还不多。基于2019年秋季和2020年夏季金沙江上段干流17个样点藻类及水体理化指标的调查数据,分析了不同季节浮游藻类和着生藻类群落结构及其主要环境驱动因子,比较了两类藻的多样性格局及其与环境关系的异同。结果发现,调查河段的浮游藻类和着生藻类均以硅藻为主,其中浮游藻类以极小曲壳藻(Achnanthes minutissima)、钝脆杆藻(Fragilaria capucina)、适中舟形藻(Navicula accomoda)为主要优势种,着生藻类以极小曲壳藻(Achnanthes minutissima)、扁圆卵形藻(Cocconeis placentula)、橄榄绿色异极藻(Gomphonema olivaceum)为主要优势种。浮游藻类和着生藻类秋季平均密度分别为:2.41×10~5个/L、9.43×10~3个/cm~2,均明显高于夏季的平均密度(4.84×10~4个/L、4.84×10~3个/cm~2)。两类藻的群落格局表现出明显的季节变化,但只有着生藻分类单元...     

Prey spectra of aquatic Utricularia species (Lentibulariaceae) in northeastern Germany: The role of planktonic algae

The carnivorous bladderworts (Utricularia) possess complicated suction traps. Remarkably, information on the prey trapped is relatively sparse. We have conducted a detailed survey on the prey spectra found in traps of selected aquatic bladderworts (U. australis, U. vulgaris) occurring in ponds in northeastern Germany. A close examination of more than 200 traps revealed cladocerans, copepods, rotiferas, ciliates and insect larvae as being common prey.Of particular interest was the considerable amount of phytoplankton (i.e. algae, cyanobacteria) found in the traps. In total, more than 160 algae species (among others, Kirchneriella lunaris, Scenedesmus quadricauda and S. acuminatus) belonging to more than 50 genera were present, with Chlorophyceae being dominant. The role of the vegetarian diet for nutrient supply of bladderworts is discussed.     

中国淡水共球藻纲新记录属种——土佐牧野藻(Makinoella tosaensis Okada)

报道分别从湖北省武汉市内和云南省西双版纳小水池中分离培养的两株绿藻,对其进行了形态和18S r DNA基因序列分析,编号分别为FACHB-1783和FACHB-1784。这两株绿藻具独特的四边形群体形态,通常为4或16个细胞,细胞为宽椭圆形至不规则卵圆形、细胞壁两端无增厚,叶绿体多数、片状,具蛋白核。结合形态和分子系统发育分析,确定这两株绿藻为我国1种淡水共球藻纲新记录属种——土佐牧野藻(Makinoella tosaensis Okada)。基于18S r DNA基因的系统发育研究表明这两株绿藻与分离自韩国的土佐牧野藻基因序列相似度可达99.6%~99.9%,并且以较高的支持值与土佐牧野藻聚在一起。     

Shelter association between the hermit crab Sympagurus dimorphus and the zoanthid Epizoanthus paguricola in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean

Schejter, L. and Mantelatto, F.L. 2011. Shelter association between the hermit crab Sympagurus dimorphus and the zoanthid Epizoanthus paguricola in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 92 : 141–149. The available literature on zoanthid–hermit crab associations deals only with records of this phenomenon, providing no detailed information. We describe, for the first time, the shell‐like colonies of Epizoanthus paguricola associated with the hermit crab Sympagurus dimorphus from benthic samples taken in the Argentine Sea, between 85 and 131 m depth, and provide information about morphometric relationships between the hermits and the zoanthids. In total, 260 specimens (137 males and 123 females) of S. dimorphus were collected, 240 (92.3%) of which were living in symbiosis with E. paguricola. The remaining 20 (7.7%) were living inside gastropod shells. As the initial structure of the pseudoshell, 12 different gastropod species were found (all were almost totally covered with colonies of E. paguricola). The hermit crab lives in the spiral cavity inside the soft colony, which seemed to be slightly different depending on the initial gastropod. Aperture pseudoshell morphology did not seem to be related to the sex of the hermit crab host, although males showed larger apertures for a given colony size. This fact is probably related to a larger size of male’s cheliped (sexual dimorphic character) used like a gastropod operculum and that may serve as a template for the growing of the aperture pseudoshell edge. The number of epizoanthid polyps per colony increased in relation to the weight of the colony and to the size of the hermit crab. A process of selection of the initial shell was evident, because species of Naticidae were not the most common gastropods in this benthic community, but were those most used by hermit crabs (>60%). The puzzling association between hermit crab, shell and zoanthid presumably occurs during the hermit juvenile phase, when the crab occupies a small shell, and a zoanthid larva settles on it. Given the close relationship between S. dimorphus and E. paguricola found in this region, we support the idea that due to the low availability of adequate gastropod shells for hermit life cycle, this association allows the establishment and the continuity of the hermit crab population in the studied area.     

Rapid evolutionary adaptation to elevated salt concentrations in pathogenic freshwater bacteria Serratia marcescens

Rapid evolutionary adaptions to new and previously detrimental environmental conditions can increase the risk of invasion by novel pathogens. We tested this hypothesis with a 133‐day‐long evolutionary experiment studying the evolution of the pathogenic Serratia marcescens bacterium at salinity niche boundary and in fluctuating conditions. We found that S. marcescens evolved at harsh (80 g/L) and extreme (100 g/L) salt conditions had clearly improved salt tolerance than those evolved in the other three treatments (ancestral conditions, nonsaline conditions, and fluctuating salt conditions). Evolutionary theories suggest that fastest evolutionary changes could be observed in intermediate selection pressures. Therefore, we originally hypothesized that extreme conditions, such as our 100 g/L salinity treatment, could lead to slower adaptation due to low population sizes. However, no evolutionary differences were observed between populations evolved in harsh and extreme conditions. This suggests that in the study presented here, low population sizes did not prevent evolution in the long run. On the whole, the adaptive potential observed here could be important for the transition of pathogenic S. marcescens bacteria from human‐impacted freshwater environments, such as wastewater treatment plants, to marine habitats, where they are known to infect and kill corals (e.g., through white pox disease).     

Physical and chemical limnology of 34 ultra-oligotrophic lakes and ponds near Wynniatt Bay,Victoria Island,Arctic Canada

Thirty-four lakes and ponds on north-central Victoria Island (Arctic Canada) were examined in order to characterize the limnological conditions of these unstudied aquatic ecosystems, and to provide baseline data as part of a larger study monitoring future changes in climatically-sensitive high-latitude locations. Similar to several other arctic regions, the lakes and ponds were slightly alkaline (mean pH = 7.65), dilute (mean specific conductance = 96.4 S), and low in nutrients. What distinguished this limnological data set was the ultra-oligotrophic nature of the lakes and ponds, as mean phosphorus (1.3 g l^–1) and chlorophyll a (0.4 g l^–1) concentrations were amongst the lowest recorded in arctic environments. Also, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations (often <1 mg l^–1) were 2–3 times lower than those recorded for ponds at similar latitudes. Principal components analysis (PCA) separated sites primarily along a gradient of DOC and specific conductance, and along a secondary gradient of particulate nitrogen, likely reflecting differences in phyto- and zooplankton biomass. These ultra-oligotrophic lakes and ponds should show a marked response to global warming. As DOC acts as a natural UV radiation screen, the combination of ultra-oligotrophic conditions and low DOC levels suggests that the biota within these sites are representative of those adapted to living in highly stressful environments. Lakes and ponds in this region make ideal monitoring sites, as they should be especially responsive to future environmental changes.