Cyanobacteria mitigation using low power ultrasound for gas vesicle collapse

The ability of a low-power ultrasound system to alter the physiology cyanobacteria cells in controlled field applications was evaluated. Serratia sp., model bacteria, and collected from bloom containing Microcystis sp. Aphanizomenon were placed sound transparent containers exposed studies. No observed changes gas vesicles between unexposed controls samples found. Cell viability phycocyanin concentration for both bacteria environmental not significantly affected. At highest acoustic pressure measured (3.5 kPa), 1 m transducer, pressures over 100× lower than vesicle critical collapse pressures. Moreover, frequencies emitted are resonance frequencies. Therefore, consistent with frequency measurements, we found no evidence that is mechanism as mitigation strategy.