Removal of cyanobacteria and microcystin by natural plant-mineral combinations in eutrophic waters

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol. 2013 Feb;90(2):216-21. doi: 10.1007/s00128-012-0904-4. Epub 2012 Nov 30.

Abstract

The removal or mitigation of cyanobacterial bloom and cyanotoxins is a necessity to ensure safe drinking water and recreational water. As a feasible agent to control cyanobacterial bloom, a novel plant-mineral composite (PMC) was developed and optimized through laboratory and field testing over the past 3 years. Based on previous studies, we treated cyanobacterial bloom water (mainly Microcystis and Synechocystis) with 0.05 mg/L PMC at the small eutrophic reservoir; 2 h later, we collected samples and analyzed them in the laboratory. The intra-cellular (c-MC) and dissolved microcystin-LR (d-MC) were measured using an ELISA method. The PMC exhibited a remarkable removal of both c-MC (47.3 %) and d-MC (95.8 %) within 2 days. In addition, notable decreases (on average, 78 % of the control) in the chlorophyll-a, suspended solids, total phosphorus and biochemical oxygen demand values, in zooplankton and in the phytoplankton density (83.9 %) were verified after 48 h. These results indicate that the PMC is more effective in controlling d-MC than c-MC, suggesting a possible method to mitigate such hazardous chemicals as agrochemicals and endocrine disrupters in aquatic ecosystems.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cyanobacteria / isolation & purification*
  • Eutrophication*
  • Microcystins / isolation & purification*
  • Minerals / metabolism*
  • Phytoplankton / metabolism*
  • Water Microbiology*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / isolation & purification*

Substances

  • Microcystins
  • Minerals
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical