title: Application of hydrogen peroxide to the control of eutrophic lake systems in laboratory assays.
abstract: We exposed water samples from a recreational lake dominated by the cyanobacterium Planktothrix agardhii to different concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). An addition of 0.33 mg·L-1 of H2O2 was the lowest effective dose for the decay of chlorophyll-a concentration to half of the original in 14 h with light and 17 h in experiments without light. With 3.33 mg·L-1 of H2O2, the values of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) decreased to half at 36 and 126 h in experiments performed with and without light, respectively. With increasing H2O2, there is a decrease in the total and faecal coliform, and this effect was made more pronounced by light. Total and faecal coliform were inhibited completely 48 h after addition of 3.33 mg·L-1 H2O2. Although the densities of cyanobacterial cells exposed to H2O2 did not decrease, transmission electron microscope observation of the trichomes showed several stages of degeneration, and the cells were collapsed after 48 h of 3.33 mg·L-1 of H2O2 addition in the presence of light. Our results demonstrate that H2O2 could be potentially used in hypertrophic systems because it not only collapses cyanobacterial cells and coliform bacteria but may also reduce chlorophyll-a content and chemical oxygen demand.
authors.affiliation: Toxicología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 48 y 115, La Plata 1900, Argentina. letiziabau@yahoo.com.ar.
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bauzá
authors.affiliation: INBIOTEC-CONICET y CIB-FIBA, Vieytes 3103, Mar del Plata 7600, Argentina. anabella.aguilera@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Anabella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aguilera
authors.affiliation: División Ficología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n°, La Plata 1900, Argentina. rechen@fcnym.unlp.edu.ar.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Echenique
authors.affiliation: Toxicología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 48 y 115, La Plata 1900, Argentina. dandrinolo@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Darío
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Andrinolo
authors.affiliation: Toxicología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 48 y 115, La Plata 1900, Argentina. leda@biol.unlp.edu.ar.
authors.forename: Leda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giannuzzi
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001681:Biological Assay; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000187:drug effects; D005068:Eutrophication / Q000187:drug effects*; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007753:Laboratories; D060106:Lakes; D008027:Light; D016877:Oxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014873:Water Pollutants
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D016877:Oxidants; D014873:Water Pollutants; D002734:Chlorophyll; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D000077194:Chlorophyll A