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Application of an Effective Microorganism Product as a Cyanobacterial Control and Water Quality Improvement Measure in Putrajaya Lake, Malaysia

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Abstract

This study investigated the effects of effective microorganism (EM) in reducing the cyanobacterial density and improving the water quality and phytoplankton diversity. Four thousand litre of EM was sprayed over an area of 0.7 ha in a semi-enclosed area of the Putrajaya Lake. Sampling and analysis of water quality and phytoplankton were carried out at three locations over a period of 50 days. The results of the study showed that EM treatment temporarily reduced the cyanobacterial density from 3909.5 to 2200.9 cells/ml after 18 days, but the density began to increase again soon after. Similarly, mean phytoplankton density showed similar pattern to the cyanobacterial trend of decreasing density after application but started to increase 3 weeks afterwards. Cyanobacteria was the dominant phytoplankton group before and during EM treatment. Cyanobacterial dominance decreased 55.2% after EM application resulting in more balanced phytoplankton assemblages 18 days after treatment before regaining its dominance 3 week after EM application. Nostoc sp. was the main cyanobacterial species before-, during and after EM treatment. Only pH significantly differed after the EM treatment; while, other parameters such as dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a, transparency showed no significant changes before and after EM application. This study illustrated that EM application did not provide sustained microalgae reduction nor water quality improvement throughout the experiment.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Ministry of Water, Land and Natural Resources Malaysia under Funding P23170000190001. We are grateful to Perbadanan Putrajaya for allowing us to conduct the study in the lake and provided the necessary data for the investigation. Thanks to Umi Wahidah Ahmad-Dini (MSc student of Universiti Putra Malaysia) and Mohd Hafiz Zulkifli (NAHRIM) for their assistance in the field and laboratory.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lake and Reservoir Unit, Water Quality and Environment Research Centre, National Hydraulic Research Institute of Malaysia, 43300, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, Malaysia

    Zati Sharip & Siti Balqis Abd. Razak

  2. Lake, Wetland and Environment Division, Perbadanan Putrajaya, 62675, Putrajaya, Malaysia

    Normaliza Noordin

  3. Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Universit Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Malaysia

    Fatimah M. Yusoff

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  1. Zati Sharip
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Correspondence to Zati Sharip.

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On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest. Authors further declare that there is no financial or personal relationship with a third party whose interests could be positively or negatively influenced by this article’s content.

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Sharip, Z., Abd. Razak, S.B., Noordin, N. et al. Application of an Effective Microorganism Product as a Cyanobacterial Control and Water Quality Improvement Measure in Putrajaya Lake, Malaysia. Earth Syst Environ 4, 213–223 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-019-00139-4

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