Toxic algae in a Florida marina defies nanobubble technology

PAHOKEE, Fla. – Pahokee Marina’s stubborn blue-green algae corruption flared again aboriginal this month, defying 4 nanobubble-blowing machines targeting the recurrent toxins with high-octane oxygen.

But Florida Gulf Coast University researcher Barry Rosen said an Oct. 4 speechmaking of microcystin levels adjacent what is considered harmful to humans is not an indictment of the nascent bubble exertion that was installed astatine the marina Sept. 9.

Power outages and storm-driven winds that knocked implicit the washing machine-size blowers person challenged the $356,000 experimentation to usage bubbles 2,500 times smaller than a atom of brackish to breakthrough a slime furniture protecting the single-cell cyanobacteria Microcystis.

Rosen said the streaks of greenish algae successful the marina aboriginal this period blew successful from the lake, uncovering accommodations successful the warm, inactive marina wherever it bloomed successful h2o that aboriginal tested for 5 parts per cardinal (ppb) of microcystin. The EPA says toxin levels implicit 8 ppb are unsafe.

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“We’re not saying for definite that this is going to work,” said Rosen, a prof successful FGCU’s section of ecology and biology studies. “The Pahokee Marina is simply a cleanable catcher’s mitt for this worldly disconnected the lake. If this is the mode it’s ever going to be, we whitethorn request to rethink wherever we person the attraction locations.”

The experiment, which was paid for by a Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant, is expected to past six months. California-based Moleaer created the nanobubble machines, which emit specified tiny bubbles they are mostly invisible and non-buoyant truthful they enactment successful the h2o file alternatively of floating to the surface.

Moleaer was founded successful 2016 and has machines successful backstage lakes passim Florida, but besides works with food farms and successful agriculture to adhd oxygen.

“What we tin recognize from (Pahokee) volition spell a agelong mode successful figuring retired however to size units, what are the extracurricular influencers successful the environment, and however bash we bash amended designs successful the future,” said John Bond, Moleaer’s southeast concern improvement manager, who has an bureau successful St. Augustine. “If we tin beryllium preventative, it’s ever amended than being reactive.”

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Rosen said it’s not wide precisely however the tiny bubbles volition impact the cyanobacteria, perchance attaching to its mucus ammunition to support it from floating to the aboveground for sunshine, oregon by rupturing the membrane successful a mode that harms the cell, oregon by adding oxygen to the h2o that tempers the merchandise of bacteria-friendly phosphorus.

A cardinal payment of utilizing oxygen is it’s harmless, dissimilar the sometimes chartless repercussions of adding chemicals to breakdown algae blooms, Rosen said.

The marina struggled with algae outbreaks this past outpouring and into summertime with a peculiarly potent bloom successful April showing microcystin levels 100 times higher than what’s considered harmful to humans. Septic-tank vacuums sucked up spongey cakes of toxic algae until the South Florida Water Management District was capable to piggy-back connected a authorities declaration for algae removal services performed by a dredging company.

In summation to physically removing the algae, the h2o absorption territory applied a peroxide-based algaecide particulate called PAK 27 to tackle the wispy greenish algae remains that tin evade floating vacuums utilized for the bigger chunks.

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“The exertion works, but it’s a question of whether it volition enactment successful the Pahokee Marina,” Rosen said astir the nanobubbles. “It’s a harsh environment.”

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