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Assessment of selected macroalgae for use in a biological hybrid system for treating sulphur in acid mine drainage (AMD)

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Abstract

Filamentous algae biomass is very limited in aerobic constructed wetlands and totally absent in anaerobic constructed wetlands. Its contribution to the removal of sulphur from acid mine drainage will therefore rarely reach a significant level if not used in association with secondary algae treatment ponds as part of a biological hybrid treatment system. Although a high sulphur concentration has a lower environmental impact than dissolved metals and acidity, it does have an adverse impact on water quality. The current study employed selected macroalgal species under laboratory conditions to determine the bioaccumulation of sulphur (S) and other important algal growth elements such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and phosphorus (P) from acid mine drainage (AMD) water and treated constructed wetland water at different pH values. Following exposure of the macroalgae to AMD and treated constructed wetland water for 192 h, Microspora tumidula showed the highest bioaccumulation of S and P which occurred at a pH of 5. Oedogonium crassum showed the highest bioaccumulation of Ca and Mg at a pH of 7. The results also showed that the accumulation efficiency of Mg by all three macroalgal species increased significantly as the pH increased. The filamentous species Oedogonium crassum and Klebsormidium klebsii showed very little increase in chl-a (mg g−1 fw) and ash free dry weight (mg g−1 AFDW) after exposure to the mine and treated constructed wetland water after 192 h at all four pH ranges in comparison to the species M. tumidula. However, the species M. tumidula show significant increases in both chl-a (mg g−1 fw) and mg g−1 AFDW at pH values 5, 6.14 and 7. The study established that the species M. tumidula is a good candidate for use in a biological hybrid system for treating sulphur-rich acid mine drainage.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their gratitude to the CSIR for funding the project as well as to colleagues for helping with the water and algae sampling. The authors also thank the unknown referees for their critical review of and constructive suggestions toward improving the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIR Natural Resources and the Environment, PO Box 320, Stellenbosch, 7599, South Africa

    Paul J. Oberholster & Po-Hsun Cheng

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville, 7535, South Africa

    Paul J. Oberholster

  3. Department of Botany and Zoology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7601, South Africa

    Paul J. Oberholster

  4. Department of Genetics, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7601, South Africa

    Anna-Maria Botha

  5. CSIR Natural Resources and the Environment, PO Box 395, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa

    Philip Hobbs & Liesl Hill

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  1. Paul J. Oberholster
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  2. Po-Hsun Cheng
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Correspondence to Anna-Maria Botha.

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Oberholster, P.J., Cheng, PH., Botha, AM. et al. Assessment of selected macroalgae for use in a biological hybrid system for treating sulphur in acid mine drainage (AMD). J Appl Phycol 30, 1361–1370 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-017-1314-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-017-1314-0

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