TITLE:
Periphyton Response to Additions of Glucose and Hydrogen Peroxide as Control Measures of Harmful Algal Blooms
AUTHORS:
Allison K. Romanski, Charlyn Partridge, Alan D. Steinman
KEYWORDS:
Periphyton, Glucose, Hydrogen Peroxide, Mesocosm, Cyanobacteria
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.17 No.2,
February
19,
2025
ABSTRACT: A mesocosm-based study was conducted to assess the effect of glucose and hydrogen peroxide on periphyton communities. These chemicals have been found to be effective at controlling cyanobacteria blooms in the water column but their impact on attached communities is unknown. The experimental design included a total of 4 treatments: control (no chemicals; 3 replicates); hydrogen peroxide (3 replicates); glucose alone (3 different concentrations [no replicates]); and additive glucose (3 replicates). After 34 days, mean values of chlorophyll a were lower in all experimental treatments compared to the control; mean AFDM values were lower in all treatments except the unreplicated high glucose alone treatment. In contrast, mean autotrophic index values (AFDM/chlorophyll a) were greater in all treatments compared to the control, indicating heterotrophs were more resistant to the chemical treatments than autotrophs. Periphyton community biodiversity was much lower in the additive glucose and moderate glucose alone treatments than the hydrogen peroxide and control treatments. The relative abundance of the bacteria Asticcacaulis and Sphingorhabdus responded positively to the glucose treatments, whereas relative abundance of Nevskia and Caenimonas declined in both the hydrogen peroxide and glucose treatments. In terms of relative abundance, no cyanobacteria taxa were detected among the top 20 taxa. We conclude that the autotrophic component of periphyton communities is especially vulnerable to hydrogen peroxide and glucose treatments, and that any management strategy employing these chemicals should be aware of this potential impact.