Controlling internal nutrients loading at low temperature using oxygen-loading zeolite and submerged macrophytes enhances environmental resilience to subsequent high temperature.

Nutrients releasing from anoxic sediment can be enhanced in summer because the dissolved oxygen (DO) consumption, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) migration are susceptible to temperature. Herein, we proposed a method to hinder the aquatic environmental deterioration in warm seasons through consecutive application of oxygen- and lanthanum-modified zeolite (LOZ) and submerged macrophytes (V. natans) at low temperature scenario (5 °C, with depleted DO in water), and the effect was examined with drastic increasing the ambient temperature to 30 °C. The investigation was conducted in a microcosm scale including sediment cores (with a diameter of 11 cm, height of 10 cm) and overlying water (with depth of 35 cm). During the 60 days experiment, application of LOZ at 5 °C facilitated slower releasing and diffusion of oxygen from LOZ and the growth of V. natans. Thereby, when the temperature was increased to 30 °C and maintained for 35 days, the DO reached 10.01 mg/L, and the release of P and N from the sediment was reduced by 86% and 92%, respectively. This was achieved from the joint efforts of adsorption, biological conversion, chemical inactivation, and assimilation. Also, the LOZ inhibited 80% N2O, 75% CH4, and 70% CO2 emissions primary by promoting V. natans growth and reshaping microbiota. Meanwhile, the colonization of V. natans benefited the sustainable improvement in the water quality. Our results addressed the time that the remediation of anoxic sediment can be applied.

Potassium regulates cadmium toxicity in Microcystis aeruginosa.

Microcystis aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa) was found to be capable of cadmium (Cd2+) assimilation. Potassium (K+), an essential factor in transmembrane transport, can possibly manipulate the interaction between Cd2+ and M. aeruginosa. In this study, the effect of available K+ levels on Cd2+ toxicity in M. aeruginosa is examined. The results showed that the K+ level was positively linked with toxicity of Cd2+ to M. aeruginosa. And with respect to the M. aeruginosa incubated in K+ = 460 µM treatment, the release of extracellular polymeric substance was augmented, which benefited the retention of Cd2+ on the M. aeruginosa surface. In addition, the assimilation of Cd2+ showed a 3.42-fold increase in comparison to that without K+ supplement. Moreover, the enhanced K+ level caused the up-regulation of the Cd2+ transporting protein and down-regulation of the Cd2+ efflux protein, associated with the positive energy metabolism response. These results documented that the K+ availability could influence the toxicity of Cd2+ to M. aeruginosa jointly through the manipulation of Cd2+ assimilation, excretion, and the biological response. These findings may attach importance to the effects of K+ level on Cd2+ assimilation by M. aeruginosa and shed a degree of light on the enhanced Cd2+ removal using algal-based technology.