title: Potential of cyanobacterial biofilms in phosphate removal and biomass production.
abstract: Four cyanobacterial biofilms, raised from cyanobacterial mats and dominated by Phormidium and Oscillatoria spp., were successfully grown attached to polyester mesh discs, and were tested for their probable application in [Formula: see text] -P removal from domestic sewage and other nutrient enriched wastewaters. Biofilm # 2, dominated by Phormidium fragile, best removed [Formula: see text] -P; nevertheless, some of it also grew outside the substrate making harvesting difficult. Other biofilms also efficiently removed [Formula: see text] -P from the medium in the following order: Biofilm # 1 > Biofilm # 3 > Biofilm # 4. Their growths were restricted to discs and are therefore better candidates as they can be efficiently harvested after [Formula: see text] -P removal. [Formula: see text] -P removal was primarily due to its uptake during growth of the biofilm rather than because of precipitation as pH of the medium remained <8.5. [Formula: see text] -N concentration in the medium determined [Formula: see text] -P removal efficiency of the test biofilms and therefore optimum N:P ratio is necessary for optimizing [Formula: see text] -P removal. The test biofilms could also efficiently remove [Formula: see text] -N from the medium.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Algal Biology, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, India.
authors.forename: Jyoti
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rai
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, School of Life Sciences, H.N.B. Garhwal University, Garhwal, Srinagar 246 174, India.
authors.forename: Dhananjay
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Algal Biology, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, India; Department of Marine Science, Incheon National University, Incheon 406 840, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Lalit K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Pandey
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Algal Biology, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, India.
authors.forename: Arpana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Algal Biology, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, India. Electronic address: gaurjp@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gaur
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms; D018533:Biomass; D003470:Culture Media; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007218:Industrial Microbiology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D010710:Phosphates / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism; D011091:Polyesters; D012722:Sewage; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D009566:Nitrates; D009584:Nitrogen; D010710:Phosphates; D010758:Phosphorus; D011091:Polyesters; D012722:Sewage; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Artificial substrate; Biofilm; Filamentous cyanobacteria; Oscillatoria; Phormidium; Phosphate removal