Elaboración de un dispositivo ultrasónico para control de floraciones algales del género Microcystis en el embalse San Roque, Córdoba: primeros pasos para evaluación de sus efectos

Cyanobacterial blooms pose an environmental and sanitary risk. Among them is the species Microcystis aeruginosa, which are cells arranged in colonies, of cosmopolitan distribution, producer of a hepatotoxin (microcystin) and with dominance in the summer period, forming large blooms in rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Multiple ways have been investigated to mitigate or control these blooms, without generating secondary effects on the environment and high economic expense; ultrasound technology is one of the ways that are being studied today, and it is known that it generates collapse of gas vesicles, inhibition of photosynthesis and rupture of Microcystis membranes, but its effect is not yet developed in depth. The San Roque reservoir, located in the province of Córdoba, is one of the most affected reservoirs in the country by cyanobacterial blooms, especially Microcystis aeruginosa. The objective of this work was to develop an ultrasound transducer capable of producing sedimentation of natural colonies of Microcystis extracted from the San Roque reservoir, and to evaluate its effect at the macro and microscopic level during and after treatment. The effectiveness of the developed transducer could be affirmed since the treated colonies sedimented 10 min after the treatment was started, and remained there after 14 days. No intracellular changes could be identified by optical microscopy. It was proposed to continue advancing in these tests by varying the powers and frequencies of the transducer, as well as the response variables and perfecting their analysis.