TITLE:
Utilizing Spirogyra grevilleana as a Phytoremediatory Agent for Reduction of Limnetic Nutrients and Escherichia coli Concentrations
AUTHORS:
Malcolm A. Barnard, James W. Porter, Susan B. Wilde
KEYWORDS:
Spirogyra grevilleana, Bioremediation, Phytoremediation, Nutrients, Escherichia coli
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.8 No.5,
April
30,
2017
ABSTRACT: The
freshwater alga Spirogyra grevilleana was used in an experimental biofiltration system to reduce levels of Escherichia coli, nitrates, and phosphates.
Water collected from a 2.32 ha lake in Atlanta, Georgia, USA was pumped at a
constant rate (6.17 × 10-1 m3·hr-1) through the algal filtration devices with low and
high concentrations of S. grevilleana. Effluent water was tested over time for E. coli,
nitrate, phosphate, dissolved oxygen, and pH levels. Both concentrations of S. grevilleana reduced E. coli by 100% and significantly reduced nitrate concentrations (30% ± 13%) and phosphate concentrations (23% ± 5%) while maintaining dissolved oxygen and pH at
normal levels. Utilizing S. grevilleana in an algal filtration device could potentially provide a sustainable,
flexible, and low-cost method of E. coli reduction in freshwater lakes worldwide. Initial results indicate that
the use of S. grevilleana in conjunction with an algal filtration device is potentially capable of
creating potable water.