Boron doped diamond electro-oxidation coupled with ultrafiltration for Microcystis aeruginosa and Microcystins removal in offshore environment: the significance of in-situ generation of chloramine and membrane fouling mitigation

Xing Du, Xujun Zhi, Bingxuan Li, Zhihong Wang, Yunlong Luo*, Fangshu Qu

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Algae blooms and toxins pose a serious threat to the ecological security and human health in coastal areas. Coupling electro-oxidation with ultrafiltration is an effective means of treating algae-laden water. This study was designed to assess the removal of Microcystis aeruginosa and Microcystins in the offshore environment using a hybrid system combining BDD electro-oxidation with ultrafiltration. The results show that under suitable conditions, electro-oxidation rapidly inactivated algal cells and completely removed chlorophyll from the algae-laden water. In addition, electro-oxidation was effective in degrading microcystin-LR and dissolved organic carbon, with 83% and 66% removals observed within 30 min, respectively. The system also reduced the concentrations of proteins and humic acids partly, while converting large molecules to small molecules and increasing the proportion of hydrophilic substances. A large amount of free chlorine was generated and most of the ammonia nitrogen in the water was converted to nitrogen and chloramine during the oxidation process. The electro-oxidation exhibited a better performance in treating algae in the growth phase than in the decline phase. During long-term operation, the hybrid system showed stable removal of chlorophyll, turbidity, and UV254. Applying electro-oxidation treatment prior to ultrafiltration led to slower transmembrane pressure (TMP) increase rate in the course of the experiment. The SEM results suggest that after moderate electro-oxidation, the algal cells formed a less compact fouling layers, which alleviated the ultrafiltration membrane fouling.
Original languageEnglish
Article number122579
Pages (from-to)1-10
Number of pages10
JournalSeparation and Purification Technology
Volume306
Issue numberPart A
Early online date7 Nov 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Feb 2023
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Electro-oxidation
  • Algae
  • Water quality
  • Ultrafiltration
  • Microcystins

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