Dutch and Belgian lakes, surface waters and ponds were originally clear and plant-rich systems, with a high diversity of fauna and flora. Due to the constant increase in nitrogen and phosphorus (in the form of phosphate) loading, these watercourses have historically transitioned to turbidity and less biodiversity.
Phosphate is considered the main factor of eutrophication as it easily binds to organic/inorganic media, and thus can be released at any time. Nitrogen plays less of a role in this and can be ‘more easily’ removed from the water column. Nitrogen can also be fixed biologically by blue-green algae, among others. It is clear that phosphorus, in the form of phosphate, can only have an effect on turbidity caused by algal blooms when it ends up in the water column.
Nutrient supply, as described above, can occur in different ways. The external load will be more or less constant, with fluctuations during the seasons. The internal load should be fairly well balanced in a pond system, without calamities. The water level is (mostly) determined by human intervention and is therefore also controllable. A final factor that has long been ignored is the subsequent supply from the soil due to historical phosphate storage in the mineral layer. Since this is mainly physicochemically fixed, it will therefore be released when the concentration in the aquifer drops. Here, the subsequent delivery depends mainly on which form of sequestration and the redox potential in the soil. Depending on the amount of phosphate sequestered, the subsequent delivery from the soil can take several years. But again, as already stated, it is always released into the water layer to be taken up by algae, bacteria and plants.
Excess phosphate will eventually cause problems in the water body. Algae and Blue-green algae are very fast-growing organisms. They grow faster than aquatic plants competing over phosphate. Lots of algae in the water makes them deprive essential light from aquatic plants. As a result, the aquatic plants grow less, reducing their ability to compete over phosphate with the algae. This snowball effect results in algae being able to bloom. For blue-green algae in particular, this bloom is a problem as it is often accompanied by too many toxins in the water.
Nutreact puts the conditions for ecological recovery within reach by removing excess phosphate (and nitrate) from the water. As it were, the reset button is pressed. Interestingly, Nutreact can also be used to tackle the blue-green algae problem. Nutreact follows the route of simply preventing a blue-green algae bloom by actually removing the phosphate from the water column. Without any additives to the water. In a sustainable way.
The Nutreact technology focuses on removing bioavailable nutrients to very low residual levels. Here, the technology uses specific P-accumulating micro-organisms that are stimulated to remove nutrients to very low residual concentrations. A total N concentration of <0.1mg N/L and a total P concentration of 0.01mg P/L are controlled in the Nutreact reactor.
Nutreact technology has proven successful both at lab scale and in smaller water bodies.
A full-scale pilot on the Binnenschelde in Bergen op Zoom will be launched in June 2024.
You can read about it at this page read more.
For more information about Nutreact, please contact us!
Sustainable water treatment for clear and healthy water. Removes phosphorus and nitrogen effectively without chemicals.
Avecom NV – Stijn Boeren
Industrieweg 122/P, 9032 Gent, België
or
Dutch Water Tech BV – Mark den Dubbelden
Poortweg 1 4613 BW Bergen op Zoom