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BACTERIAL EFFECTS AND ALGAL BIOREMEDIATION BY CHLORELLA ELLIPSOIDEA GERNECK OF THE BERKELEY PIT LAKE SYSTEM
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.1529-8817.2001.jpy37303-91.x
Subject(s) - algae , bioremediation , biology , chlorella , axenic , botany , environmental remediation , laboratory flask , chlorella vulgaris , environmental chemistry , chlorophyta , butte , contamination , ecology , bacteria , chemistry , paleontology , genetics
Mitman, G. G. Department of Biological Sciences, Montana Tech of The University of Montana, Butte, MT 59701 The Berkeley Pit Lake System is one of the largest contaminated sites in North America and is located near the headwaters of the largest superfund site in the U.S. It is filling at a rate of about 28.7 million liters per day with metal laden, acidic (pH 2.7) water. Chlorella ellipsoidea is one of the first autochthonous species of algae from the Berkeley Pit Lake System to be tested for its bioremediative potential. An experimental matrix was designed for this experiment using a completely randomized design (CRD). The matrix was set up with tissue culture flasks having the following treatments: Na2HPO4 at 0, 25, 50, 75, 100 mg/l, inoculated vs. no‐ inoculated with algae (187,500 algae/ml final), and filtered (0.2Fm) vs. non filtered pit water as variables, NaNO 3 amount was fixed at 53 mg/ml. Three replicates were made of each and the experiment lasted 60 days. The results of this experiment demonstrated significant remediation of most metals. These results will be presented. In addition, filtering seemed to negatively impact the bioremediative potential of the cultures. As a result, axenic cultures of Chlorella ellipsoidea will be tested in Berkeley pit water to determine if it is bacteria or filtration that caused these results.