Algae Bloom Control

Phosphorus is an essential element in plant life and is a common component of organic wastes, manure, and fertilisers. Found in soils, phosphorous typically gets into our waterways as surface runoff or through groundwater flow. As a naturally occurring element, phosphorous is indeed a part of the natural aquatic ecosystem, only presenting as an issue when the phosphate levels are in excess, causing a reduction in dissolvable oxygen levels. This in turn causes an increase in organic nutrients and consequently algae blooms.

Phoslock with their patented phosphate-binding system, have engineered a solution to manage naturally occurring changes in phosphorous in urban and rural waterways. Working on projects for stakeholders such as Main Roads WA, SA Water, City of Stirling, City of Bayswater,Town of Victoria Park and various others to keep their waterways healthy.

With over 40 years of combined experience in the industry, Phoslock Environmental Technologies and Apex Envirocare have chosen to collaborate together to offer a holistic approach to managing and maintaining healthy water bodies. Our combined ability to remove excess sediment as well as resolve excess dissolved phosphorous is sure to result in more effective water management plans and can be applied to wetlands, municipal ponds and ornamental lakes. Our complete environmental service is designed to offer you the best results with a long term view of offering your organisation continuous local support.

Effectively manage the health of your lake with Apex Envirocare's total solutions.

CASE STUDIES:

Phoslock at Lake Barensee (Germany)

Lake Bärensee is an artificial, shallow, polymictic lake. It is located within the largest camping area in the Federal German State of Hessen and is a popular, highly frequented lake for swimming and fishing. Eutrophication issues started in the 1990s, transforming the lake to a hypertrophic state by 2004. Cyanobacteria blooms necessitated periodic swimming bans and severely decreased the recreational value of the lake. The lake was first treated with 11.5 tonnes of Phoslock in 2008 Since then, several smaller applications of Phoslock have been undertaken

Results

⊲ Significant reductions in total phosphorous concentration

⊲ Direct effects due to phosphorous-limitation

⊲ Reductions in algal biomass 

⊲ Reductions in microbial turnover rates of organic matter

⊲ Indirect effects on nitrogen-pool:

⊲ Less nitrogen fixation

⊲ Lower ammonium concentration due to the protein degradation

⊲ Less ammonium oxidised to nitrate

⊲ Nitrate reduction through denitrification

⊲ Significant reduction in inorganic nitrogen as nitrate and ammonium

⊲ Reduction in nitrogen availability 

⊲ Improved trophic status 

Phoslock at Lake Behlendorfer See (Germany)

 The Behlendorfer See is a natural, deep, dimictic lake located near Ratzeburg in Schleswig Holstein in Northern Germany. It has a surface area of 0.63 km², an average depth of 6.2 m and a water volume of approximately 3.9* 10-6 m3 . It is located within the “Lauenburgische Seen“ National Park at the edge of the “Schaalsee Biosphere Reserve”, is classified as a calcium rich, stratified deep lake, according to LAWA (1999) and has a small catchment. Despite the implementation of measures in the catchment to reduce external Phosphorous inputs into the lake, cyanobacterial blooms resulting from internal Phosphorous cycling from sediments persisted for many years. To control this, 214 tonnes of Phoslock were applied in 2009. Significant reduction in Phosphorous concentrations resulted following the treatment. Decreases in chlorophyll-a concentrations, total nitrogen and electrical conductivity were also observed.

Results

⊲ Rapid and permanent phosphorous-binding to lanthanum in clay

⊲ Reductions in in-lake phosphorus concentrations

⊲ Reductions in releasable sediment phosphorus

⊲ Direct effects due to phosphorus-limitation:

⊲ Reductions in algae growth

⊲ Reductions in chlorophyll-a concentrations

⊲ Indirect effect on water transparency

⊲ Increased macrophyte colonisation depth

⊲ Improved oxygen profile