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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Microalgae Cultivation and Biomass Quantification in a Bench-Scale Photobioreactor with Corrosive Flue Gases
Published on: December 19, 2019
Environmentally benign periphyton bioreactors for controlling cyanobacterial growth
Yonghong Wu1, Shanqing Zhang, Huijun Zhao
1State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 71, East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, PR China. hongyongwu83@126.com
Abstract:
Microporous suspended bioreactors immobilized with periphytons were submerged between sediments and overlying water to control phosphorus release and cyanobacterial (Microcystis aeruginosa) growth. The results showed that the periphyton mainly consisted of bacteria and diatoms. The application of periphyton bioreactor decreased the levels of exchange phosphorus (Exch-P) in sediments from 1.69 to 0.49 mg g(-1) and total phosphorus (TP) from 0.75 to 0.30 mg L(-1). The significant reduction of the total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) content was not only beneficial for the decrease of the cyanobacterial growth, but also stimulates the periphyton to produce natural cyanobacterial inhibitors such as gallic acid and ethyl-2-methylacetoacetate. These synergistic effects led to the growth inhabitation of M. aeruginosa when the initial concentrations of M. aeruginosa were less than 119.3 microg L(-1). This study provides an environmentally-friendly and publically acceptable method of controlling bacterial blooms when compared to traditional addition of chemicals.
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