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Effect of iron and phosphorus on the microalgae growth in co-culture

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Abstract

Iron and phosphorus (P) are the important micro- and macro-nutrient for microalgae growth, respectively. However, the effect of iron and P on microalgae growth in co-culture associating with the formation of dominate algae has not been investigated before. In the current study, Anabaene flos-aquae, Chlorella vulgaris and Melosira sp. were co-cultivated under the addition of different initial iron and P to reveal the effect of iron and phosphorus on the growth of microalgae. The results showed that the mean growth rate of A. flos-aquae, C. vulgaris and Melosira was 0.270, 0.261 and 0.062, respectively, indicating that the A. flos-aquae and C. vulgaris algae are liable to be the dominant algae while the growth of Melosira was restrained when co-cultured. The ratio of Fe to P has a significant impact on the growth of microalgae and could be regarded as an indicator of algae growth. Microalgae showed a much more obvious uptake of iron compared to that of P. The information obtained in the current study was useful for the forecast of water quality and the control of microalgae bloom.

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Acknowledgements

This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51708130 and 51308131).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China

    Junxia Liu, Yongting Qiu, Linjuan He, Keshu Luo & Zhihong Wang

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  1. Junxia Liu
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  2. Yongting Qiu
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  3. Linjuan He
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  4. Keshu Luo
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  5. Zhihong Wang
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Correspondence to Yongting Qiu or Zhihong Wang.

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Communicated by Erko stackebrandt.

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Liu, J., Qiu, Y., He, L. et al. Effect of iron and phosphorus on the microalgae growth in co-culture. Arch Microbiol 203, 733–740 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-020-02074-9

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