Nanobubble system slashes cyanobacteria and ammonia in Taihu Lake trial
A two-stage nanobubble treatment applied to a 3,300-square-metre area of Taihu Lake reduced chlorophyll-a by nearly 90% and sharply lowered ammonia nitrogen within 20 days.
Scientists deployed a mobile two-stage nanobubble platform across a 3,300-square-metre section of Taihu Lake in eastern China, first using hydrodynamic cavitation to damage cyanobacterial cells and then introducing ozone-filled nanobubbles that collapsed into hydroxyl radicals. Within a 20-day period chlorophyll-a, the key metric for toxic cyanobacteria, fell 89.8%, while ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus and chemical oxygen demand all declined and dissolved oxygen levels rose.
The treatment also enhanced water transparency, allowing more sunlight to reach the lakebed and supporting the regrowth of submerged aquatic vegetation. Published in the journal Environmental Research and indexed on PubMed, the study argues that the low-energy, high-efficiency system is suitable for scaling up to larger bays and tributaries, with further monitoring planned to assess lasting effects.
Why it matters
It offers a scalable, low-impact solution to harmful algal blooms, protecting water supplies for millions.
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