1. A), confirming that the experimental setup was suited to measure MC-LR degradation. S. microcystinivorans Y2 degradation in this study followed a first-order kinetics, differently from the zero-order (linear degradation) previously observed by Park et al. (2001) for the same strain in batch incubations. Therefore, no direct comparison of the degradation rates was possible. Park and colleagues used an optimal temperature of 30�C and an initial concentration of 18 mg L -1 which probably explained the lack of lag phase in their study. However, half-life of the MC-LR was found to be shorter in this study (0.18 days) in comparison to the one calculated by Park et al. (2 days), indicating that even not having optimal environmental conditions this experimental set up brought the conditions for the strain to optimally eliminate MC-LR. Moreover, in the present study there was no intention of in vitro growth optimization of the strain but rather exposing the S. microcystinivorans Y2 to environmental relevant conditions (15 �C and initial concentrations of 100 �g L -1 ). As a result;S. microcystinivorans Y2 degraded MC-LR rapidly without a lag phase