Degradation of microcystins by an electrochemical oxidative electrode cell

Abstract

Microcystins (MCs), which are produced by cyanobacteria, are one of the most serious problems that threaten quality of drinking water and public health. In this study, an electrolysis cell with no electrolyte is demonstrated to degrade MCs (MC-RR, MC-YR and MC-LR) in both high and low concentrations. In addition, degradation of MCs was studied under different current densities. The results revealed that the electrolysis cell could degrade MCs successfully. It was observed that degradation of a single MC was faster than mixed types and statistical analysis revealed that the degradation rate of all the three MCs did not show much difference in mixed degradation. Analysis of hydroxyl radical concentration suggested a possible role of the hydroxyl radical in degradation of MCs. We propose that the electrolysis cell could be a promising treatment for effective removal of MCs in situ, especially in water purification plants where low amounts of salts (electrolytes) are present.

A quantitative analysis of drinking water treatments for the removal of dissolved microcystins

“…Previous studies reported that the relative reactivity of the amino side chains (Z4) to the hydroxyl radical was greater from tyrosine (microcystin-LY) > arginine (microcystin-LR) > alanine (microcystin-LA). 36,37 The differences in water matrices could be expected to have a significant influence on removal efficiencies, although this may not hold true for all treatment technologies because some of them were evaluated with pure water containing microcystins. Nevertheless, in light of the pronounced differences in the proportion of data pertaining to the different treatment technologies (e.g., significantly more studies related to advanced oxidation, conventional oxidants and adsorbents), water matrices and microcystin congeners were considered as potential sources of heterogeneity in the global dataset.…”

Impact of diatomite on the slightly polluted algae-containing raw water treatment process using ozone oxidation coupled with polyaluminum chloride coagulation

“…[3][4][5][6][7] What is more, the presence of algae such as cyanobacteria in raw water can affect subsequent water treatment significantly. [8] In order to minimize the impact of algae on subsequent processes, algae must be removed during the initial stage of water treatment processes. The method of removing algae by natural clay mineral is widely considered as the most promising research directions to solve algae pollution.…”