Assessing Trends of Physical and Chemical Parameters During Elevated Cyanobacteria Growth Periods in a Drinking Water Reservoir in Ontario, Canada (2011–2016)
2022
Brinovcar, Cassandra | Crumb, Jill | Taylor, Kathy | Clarke, Peter | Habash, Marc
The occurrence of cyanobacteria in freshwater systems can negatively impact drinking water resources by affecting esthetics, taste, creating odor, and/or causing health concerns due to the release of toxins. To understand and predict cyanobacteria growth, monitoring programs for drinking water reservoirs include the measurement of physical and chemical water quality parameters known to influence cyanobacteria growth. This study was authored to elucidate the factors governing cyanobacteria growth for data captured from a monitoring program implemented from 2011 to 2016 in a raw water reservoir in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Total phosphorus (TP), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), phycocyanin levels (a proxy for cyanobacteria cell counts), and turbidity are the key parameters assessed. Phycocyanin relative fluorescence units (PC- RFU ≥ 1.5) were used as an indicator of elevated growth periods to help predict the onset of elevated growth. The TP concentration during baseline growth (0.029 mg/L, ρ < 0.05) was significantly different from that observed during elevated growth (0.074 mg/L), suggesting TP was involved in promoting growth. Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis indicated that PC-RFU had a statistically significant, positive and moderately strong relationship with TP: r(84) = 0.56, ρ < 0.01, and turbidity: r(84) = 0.60, ρ < 0.01 suggesting a link between nutrients and elevated growth. This information is useful for implementing future cyanobacteria growth mitigation strategies in raw water reservoirs.
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