Application of an alternative methodology for quantifying cyanobacteria in multiple-use water sources in São Paulo State

• Grant number: 20/12227-3
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Partnership for Technological Innovation - PITE
• Start date: April 01, 2022
• End date: March 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Agreement: SABESP
• Principal Investigator: Cacilda Thais Janson Mercante
• Grantee: Cacilda Thais Janson Mercante
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesca. Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: São Paulo
• Partner institutions: Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo (SABESP)
• Principal investigators: Denise de Campos Bicudo ; João Alexandre Saviolo Osti ; Luis Henrique Zanini Branco
• Associated researchers: André Martins Vaz dos Santos ; Carlos Eduardo de Mattos Bicudo ; João Alexandre Saviolo Osti ; Niels Ole Gerslev Jørgensen
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/00788-9 - Isolation and cultivation of cyanobacteria and microalgae in multiple-use water sources in São Paulo State, BP.TT; 22/05091-3 - Taxonomy of planktonic microalgae and cyanobacteria in multiple-use water sources in São Paulo State, BP.TT; 22/06744-0 - Limnological diagnosis of multiple-use water sources in São Paulo State, BP.IC; 21/08052-6 - Comparing microscopic counts and pigment analyses in phytoplankton communities from reservoirs of different trophic state, BP.PD

Abstract

Reservoirs are environments constructed for energy production and water supply. They are complex, dynamic and sensitive systems to the effects of anthropogenic activities in the watershed. One of the main consequences of anthropic actions in the hydrographic basin is the occurrence of the artificial eutrophication process due to the excessive supply of nutrients that triggers the accelerated growth of phytoplankton (microalgae and cyanobacteria). This fact is a current concern of managers, since the proliferation of harmful algae can make multiple uses of reservoirs unfeasible. The demand for the development of reliable and accurate alternative methods for the quantification of phytoplankton, especially cyanobacteria, is increasingly demanded by those responsible for the management of multi-purpose water sources. For this purpose, we propose the application of an alternative methodology (pigment analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography) for the quantification of phytoplankton, with an emphasis on cyanobacteria, in order to streamline the processing of environmental samples allowing decision making by the managers of multiple-use water sources in relation to the strategy for maintaining water quality with greater agility and lower cost. Water sampling will be carried out in 21 reservoirs in São Paulo State. The project aims to establish a network of national and international partnerships and will involve the participation of undergraduate and graduate students, contributing not only for the training of human resources, but also to improving the institutional technical and scientific capacity. The results will be disseminated at national and international events and published in scientific journals. (AU)