LETS TALK ABOUT ALGAE

Algae and biofilm may start as a nuisance—but left untreated, they pose real risks to health, infrastructure, and the environment. Found in everything from lakes and lagoons to industrial tanks and treatment plants, these growths can quickly spiral out of control.

Estimated Algae Species

+ 1 million

water at risk

Biofilm clogs pipes, corrodes equipment and spikes operating costs

The risks of algae

What most people call pond scum or seaweed is actually algae—a highly adaptive organism that thrives in nutrient-rich water. It’s common, persistent, and difficult to fully eliminate once established.

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Unchecked algae growth can lead to:

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Toxic water that threatens people, pets, and livestock
pH imbalances that complicate treatment processes
Fish kills due to oxygen depletion
Safety issues for swimmers and boaters (entanglement, slippery surfaces)
Clogged propellers and filtration systems
Skyrocketing water treatment costs due to odor and taste removal

Biofilm: Algae’s Bacterial Sidekick

Biofilm is the slimy bacterial layer that clings to underwater surfaces—pipes, pumps, boats, tanks, and infrastructure. It often grows alongside algae and creates additional hazards:

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Biofilm-related issues include:

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Increased maintenance and cleaning needs
Formation of carcinogenic chlorinated byproducts (like THMs and HAAs), triggering potential fines
Fouling from organisms like zebra mussels, oysters, and barnacles
Reduced heat exchange efficiency, raising operational costs
Corrosion and damage to boats and piping
Fuel waste from hull drag
Manganese precipitation causing discoloration and water safety concerns

An introduction to algae

Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) threatens quality of life and access to clean and safe water. More than just an unsightly scourge, harmful algae blooms result in costly maintenance and damage to our water systems, including ponds, lakes and lagoons, water treatment facilities, swimming pools, industrial tanks and cooling towers. Though not as varied as fingerprints, algae are a diverse group of aquatic organisms that (with up to a million estimated species) come in a vast range of shapes and sizes. Most people have encountered at least some of the more common varieties, such as seaweed, pond scum or the algal blooms that blanket the surface of lakes. Like land plants, algae use photosynthesis to generate energy, requiring only water, sunlight, carbon and nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus to thrive. Algae can play an important role in a balanced water environment, acting as food for some tiny animals and generating oxygen for larger ones.

Biofilm, the bacterial cousin of algae, is a layer of microorganisms which forms on surfaces in contact with water, such as rocks in ponds and lakes, boats and piers in marinas, equipment in water reservoirs and treatment facilities. These dense colonies of bacteria can cause any number of problems: decreasing water quality, generating bad tastes and smells, and serving as food for invasive species, such as zebra mussels. These tiny mollusks band together to clog pipes, render beaches unusable, and destroy boat engines.

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

HABs are often driven by excess phosphates and nitrates—pollutants found in fertilizers, detergents, and even soda.

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These nutrients enter water systems via:

Lawn runoff
Agricultural fields
Sewage and septic effluent
Organic debris like leaves and grass clippings

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During hot summer months, warm temperatures and low oxygen levels trigger algae and anaerobic bacteria to rapidly multiply—releasing even more nutrients stored in bottom sediments. Blue-green algae, in particular, thrive in these conditions using gas vesicles to regulate depth and access those nutrients.

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Chemicals arent the Answer

Chemical algaecides like copper sulfate are commonly used—but they’re expensive, short-term fixes that come with major downsides:

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Classified as highly toxic by the EPA
Kill beneficial bacteria and disrupt aquatic ecosystems
Corrode metal infrastructure
Create sterile, lifeless sediment layers

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And yet doing nothing isn't an option—unchecked algae can cause oxygen depletion in treatment lagoons, leading to even more HABs and the release of cyanotoxins.

How SonicPure works

Ultrasonic technology from SonicPure leverages science and sustainability to put an end to out-of-control algae and biofilm growth. This technology is helping return water ecosystems to their natural state using a sonic alternative to harmful chemicals. Ultrasound waves disrupt algae cells, causing them to lose buoyancy, sink and die—all without harming other aquatic life. The ultrasonic waves also create what is perceived as turbulence by the microorganisms that comprise biofilm, causing them to avoid colonization on treated surfaces and become a food source for invasive species such as zebra mussels.SonicPure products control algae and biofilm safely, efficiently, and in an environmentally friendly way – without dangerous chemicals. And don't just take our word for it, the EPA now recommends Ultrasound for algae control.

Waterbody Management Measures for Cyanobacterial Blooms

Waterbody Management Measure

Description

Effectiveness

Limitations

Physical Controls

Ultrasound

An ultrasound device is used to control HABs by emitting ultrasonic waves of a particular frequency such that the cellular structure of cyanobacteria is destroyed by rupturing internal gas vesicles used for buoyancy control.

Successfully implemented in ponds and other small waterbodies. A single device can cover up to 8 acres. Non-chemical; inexpensive.

Also disrupts cellular functioning of green algae. Effectiveness is dependent upon waterbody geometry and cyanobacteria species. Further research of method is required.