dc.contributor.author	Crews, Braxton Grey
dc.coverage.spatial	Southern States, United States	en_US
dc.date.accessioned	2021-09-27T18:24:15Z
dc.date.available	2021-09-27T18:24:15Z
dc.date.issued	2021-07
dc.identifier.other	95CFB559-0B1B-DB91-44CA-E41B22C5CEC8	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/10428/5015
dc.description.abstract	Lyngbya wollei is a filamentous cyanobacterium that plagues freshwater environments of the Southeastern United States because it impedes freshwater navigation and recreation, and produces harmful cyanotoxins along with a foul odor. Current treatment plans for L. wollei blooms include numerous biological and mechanical methods, while chemical control is primarily limited to application of copper- and aluminum-based compounds that often have significant negative side effects. Here, we investigate the potential of lithium compounds as control agents for L. wollei. Lithium is not expected to bioaccumulate, has terrific bioremediation potential, and is relatively non-toxic, exhibiting qualities that make it an excellent candidate for an agent of chemical algal control. In this experiment, cultures of L. wollei were exposed to lithium chloride in concentrations increasing up to 400 mg/L. Additionally, filamentous freshwater green algae were also treated with lithium chloride, in order to gain some insight into the specificity of lithium chloride for L. wollei. In a separate set of experiments, L. wollei filaments were exposed to the antibiotics streptomycin, tetracycline, and isoniazid, and to equivalent concentrations of potassium chloride. Filaments were checked for damage using a light microscope, and PAM-fluorometry was used to investigate changes in photosynthetic activity. The effect concentration of lithium chloride was determined to be between 100-200 mg/L for L. wollei and >400 mg/L for freshwater green algae. The antibiotics did not effectively damage the filaments, but the potassium chloride solution produced damage at the effect concentration of lithium, indicating a promising field for further investigation. PAM-fluorometry results suggest that the mechanism by which lithium chloride damages and kills cells in the filaments is unrelated to photosynthesis- the effects observed could be attributed to seasonal variation in L. wollei. In the highest concentration treatment group, freshwater microorganisms were observed, suggesting that lithium chloride may be a safe and effective means of chemical control of freshwater cyanobacteria, pending further experimentation. Keywords: Lyngbya wollei, lithium chloride, ecotoxicological effects, filamentous cyanobacteria	en_US
dc.description.tableofcontents	Introduction 1 -- Materials And Methods… 7 -- Results 12 -- Discussion 22 -- Conclusion 32 -- References 33	en_US
dc.format.extent	1 electronic document, 54 pages. 1201323 bytes.	en_US
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf	en_US
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US
dc.rights	This dissertation is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, revised in 1976). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgement. Use of the materials for financial gain with the author's expressed written permissions is not allowed.	en_US
dc.subject	Academic theses	en_US
dc.subject	Cyanobacteria	en_US
dc.subject	Environmental toxicology	en_US
dc.subject	Lithium chloride	en_US
dc.subject	Lyngbya	en_US
dc.subject	Southern States	en_US
dc.title	Ecotoxicological effects of lithium chloride on Lyngbya wollei	en_US
dc.type	Thesis	en_US
dc.contributor.department	Department of Biology of the College of Science and Mathematics	en_US
dc.description.advisor	Nienow, James A.
dc.description.committee	Chambers, Eric
dc.description.committee	Manning, Thomas
dc.description.degree	M.S.	en_US
dc.description.major	Biology	en_US