• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.447-454
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• 2018

Although flotation techniques are often used for the removal of algal particles, the practicality of algae-harvesting technologies is limited owing to the complex and expensive facilities and equipment required for chemical coagulation. Here, we examined the feasibility of an approach to separating algal particles from water bodies without the need for chemical coagulants, depending on the condition of the algae, and to determine the optimal conditions. Using Anabaena sp., a cyanobacterium causes algal blooms in lakes, we stimulated auto-flocculation in algal particles without coagulants and conducted solid-liquid separation experiments of algal particles under various conditions. The six cultivation columns included in our analysis comprised four factors: Water temperature, light intensity, nutrients, and carbon source; auto-flocculation was induced under all treatments, with the exception of the treatment involving no limits to all factors, and algal particles were well-settled under all conditions for which auto-flocculation occurred. Meanwhile, flotation removal of auto-flocculated algal particles was attained only when nutrients were blocked after algae were grown in an optimal medium. However, no significant differences were detected between the functional groups of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) of floated and settled algal particles in the FT-IR peak, which can cause attachment by collision with micro-bubbles.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2000

To develop the removal technique of algal bloom the efficiencies of algal flocculation/ autoflotation by the kinds of coagulant and oversaturated oxygen concentration were investigated. The summarized results are as follow. 1. In the algae flocculation test with alum[$Al_2(SO_4)_3{\cdot}18H_2O$], optimum pH was 5.5 and, with chitosan optimum pH was 7.0. 2. Chitosan which was natural polymer showed the 5~10 times higher algal biomass flocculation efficiency than alum in the condition of same algal concentration. 3. For the each coagulant, the higher ${\Delta}DO$(oversaturated dissolved oxygen concentration - saturated dissolved oxygen) was, the faster the rising velocity of the algal floc was. 4. In the condition of about 4mg/L ${\Delta}DO$, the rising velocity of chitosan is about 2 times higher than that of alum, and chitosan formed the stronger algal floc.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.432-438
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• 2018

Microalgae hold promise as a renewable energy source for the production of biofuel, as they can convert light energy into chemical energy through photosynthesis. However, cost-efficient harvest of microalgae remains a major challenge to commercial-scale algal biofuel production. We first investigated the potential of electrolytic water as a flocculant for harvesting Tetraselmis sp. Alkaline electrolyzed water (AEW) is produced at the cathode through water electrolysis. It contains mineral ions such as $Na^+$, $K^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, and $Mg^{2+}$ that can act as flocculants. The flocculation activity with AEW was evaluated via culture density, AEW concentration, medium pH, settling time, and ionic strength analyses. The flocculation efficiency was 88.7% at 20% AEW (pH 8, 10 min) with a biomass concentration of 2 g/l. The initial biomass concentration and medium pH had significant influences on the flocculation activity of AEW. A viability test of flocculated microalgal cells was conducted using Evans blue stain, and the cells appeared intact. Furthermore, the growth rate of Tetraselmis sp. in recycled flocculation medium was similar to the growth rate in fresh F/2 medium. Our results suggested that AEW flocculation could be a very useful and affordable methodology for fresh biomass harvesting with environmentally friendly easy operation in part of the algal biofuel production process.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.220-224
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• 2014

Flocculation is known one of the effective methods for harvesting microalgae. This study was aimed to optimize the flocculation condition for decreasing the amounts of flocculant and obtaining the highest yield of algal biomass. To achieve this goal, it was optimized the flocculant concentration, reaction pH and the concentration of cell density for harvest using response surface methodology (RSM). The flocculation of microalgae, Spirogyra varians, was carried out using inorganic flocculant polyaluminium chloride. By the RSM result, the optimal flocculation condition was calculated 5 ppm of polyaluminum chloride, pH 7.5 and 0.33 of optical cell density at $OD_{640}$. The obtained recovery yield of S. varians was 97.6% at the optimal condition.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.77-83
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• 2023

As a result of algal bloom, algal organic matters (AOMs) are rapidly increased in surface water. AOMs can act as precursors for the formation of harmful disinfection by-products (DBPs), which are serious problems in water treatment and human health. The main aim of this study is to characterize the formation of DBPs from AOMs produced by three different algae such as Oscillatoria sp., Anabaena sp., and Microcystis aeruginosa under different algal growth phases. In an effort to examine formation of DBPs during chlorination, chloroform (TCM), dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) were determined under various CT (product of disinfectant concentration and contact time, mg·min/L) values. Generally, the amounts of DBPs tended to increase with increasing CT values at the most growth phases. However, there was a significant difference between the amounts of DBPs produced by the three algal species at different growth phases. This result is likely due to the chemical composition variability of AOM from different algae at different growth phases. In addition, the effect of pre-ozonation on coagulation for the removal of AOMs from three algal species was investigated. The pre-ozonation had a positive effect on the coagulation/flocculation of AOMs.

• Journal of Korean Society of Water and Wastewater
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.63-69
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• 2021

Microalgae are primary producers of aquatic ecosystems, securing biodiversity and health of the ecosystem and contributing to reducing the impact of climate change through carbon dioxide fixation. Also, they are useful biomass that can be used as biological resources for producing valuable industrial products. However, harvesting process, which is the separation of microalgal biomass from mixed liquor, is an important bottleneck in use of valorization of microalgae as a bioresource accounting for 20 to 30% of the total production cost. This study investigates the applicability of sewage sludge-derived extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) as bioflucculant for harvesting microalgae. We compared the flocculation characteristics of microalgae using EPSs extracted from sewage sludge by three methods. The flocculation efficiency of microalgae is closely related to the carbohydrate and protein concentrations of EPS. Heat-extracted EPS contains the highest carbohydrate and protein concentrations and can be a best-suited bioflocculant for microalgae recovery with 87.2% flocculation efficiency. Injection of bioflocculant improved the flocculation efficiency of all three different algal strains, Chlorella Vulgaris, Chlamydomonas Asymmetrica, Scenedesmus sp., however the improvement was more significant when it was used for flocculation of Chlamydomonas Asymmetrica with flagella.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 2024

This study employed field measurements and biogeochemical analysis to examine the effects of seasonal conditions (e.g., temperature and precipitation) and human intervention (e.g., dam or weir construction) on the chemical composition of dissolved organic matter, flocculation kinetics of suspended particulate matter, and formation of the fluid mud layer on riverbeds. The results indicated that a water environment with a substantial amount of biopolymers offered favorable conditions for flocculation kinetics during an algal bloom period in summer; a thick fluid mud layer was found to be predominated with cohesive materials during this period. However, after high rainfall, a substantial influx of terrigenous humic substances led to enhanced stabilization of the particulate matter, thereby decreasing flocculation and deposition, and the reduced biopolymer composition served to weaken the erosion resistance of the fluid mud on the riverbed. Moreover, a high-turbulence condition disaggregated the flocs and the fluid mud layer and resuspended the suspended particulate matter in the water column. This study demonstrates the mutual relationship that exists between biogeochemistry, flocculation kinetics, and the formation of the fluid mud layer on the riverine area during different seasons and under varying hydrological conditions. These findings are expected to eventually help inform the more optimal management of water resources, which is an urgent task in the face of anthropogenic stressors and climate change.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.223-230
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• 2023

Harmful algae blooms have become a serious environmental problem in major river basins in Korea. They are known to produce various algal organic matters (AOMs) including intracellular organic matters (IOMs) and extracellular organic matters (EOMs). Generally AOMs cannot be easily removed by coagulation/flocculation process in conventional drinking water plants. AOMs produced by blue-green algae also include various toxins such as Microcystins, Anatoxin-a, and Saxitoxin known to have harmful effects on living organisms in aquatic environment. In this study, toxic effects of EOMs produced by three different algae species (Microcystis sp., Anabaena sp., and Oscillatoria sp.) on zebrafish were investigated using electroencephalography (EEG) recording method, a technology for recording brain activity. Electroencephalographic changes in zebrafish revealed that a low EOM had a negative effect on zebrafish compared to both Anabaena sp. and Oscillatoria sp. at 30 ppm EOM exposures. This result might be due to Microcystins present in EOMs produced by Microcystis sp. As a result of power spectrum density anallysis, exposure to EOMs produced by Microcystis sp. caused a state of vigilance in zebrafish. This EEG based toxicity test can be used to examine effects of harmful materials at low levels on living organisms in an aquatic system.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Biology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.129-135
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• 2001

The effects of CellCaSi and bioflocculant on the control of algal bloom were investigated in enclosures in a small eutrophic pond. The bioflocculant produced by a bacterial strain S-2 was finally selected to remove Microcystis aeruginosa which was a dominant species of algal bloom in the pond. Enclosure experiment showed that phosphorus concentration decreased dramatically from $131\mu{g}\ell^{-1}$ (Control) to $1-14\mu{g}\ell^{-1}$ in three CellCaSi-enriched enclosures. Chlorophyll $-\alpha$ concentration also decreased from $215\mu{g}\ell^{-1}$ (Control) to $59\mu{g}\ell^{-1}$ by the addition of CellCaSi $(1g\ell^{-1}$, bioflocculant $(2ml\ell^{-1}$, calcium chloride $(1g\ell^{-1}$ and ferric chloride $(2mg\;Fe\ell^{-1})$ in Enclosure 4. From the results of the mouse acute toxicity test of the S-2 bioflocculant and the goldfish survival test in enclosures, it seems that both the S-2 bioflocculant and the CellCaSi do not show any severe toxicity in water system. Consequently, it was concluded that the bioflocculant and the CellCaSi could be used to control algal bloom in eutrophic waters by removing phosphorus and chlorophyll$-\alpha$.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.279-289
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• 2000

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of coagulants and solid-liquid separation methods on algal removal in water treatment processes. Thus characterization of raw water quality in terms of turbidity. UV-254, $KMnO_4$ consumption, chlorophyll-a and correlation analysis of these parameters were conducted. In addition, the effect of commercial Al-based coagulants(Alum. PAC and PACS) on algal removal was studied by turbidity and organic removal, algal species removal, characteristic of pH drop and alkalinity consumption using laboratory jar tests. Organic components including UV-254, $KMnO_4$ consumption, chlorophyll-a in case of algal bloom were highly correlated with turbidity and the correlation coefficients of UV-254, $KMnO_4$ consumption, chlorophyll-a with turbidity were 0.775, 0674 and 0.623, respectively. In coagulation and sedimentation, the Al-based coagulants showed similar efficiency of organic and turbidity removal in low organic($KMnO_4$ consumption below 15mg/l) and low turbidity(below 30NTU). However, PAC and PACS showed better algal removal than alum in high organic concentration($KMnO_4$ consumption above 20mg/l) and high turbidity(above 100NTU) raw water conditions generated by high algal growth, which is considered to be due to the floc settleability. In comparison of sedimentation and flotation after chemical coagulation and flocculation, the removal efficiency of organic and turbidity were higher in case of alum dose with flotation than with sedimentation, while those were better in case or PAC and PACS with sedimentation than with flotation. Thus, Alum with flotation and PAC and PACS with sedimentation is recommended for efficient algal removal. The dominant phytoplankton in raw water were Microcystic and pediastrum simplex and the removal efficiency of algae with sedimentation using alum. PAC and PACS were 27%, 45% and 22% respectively, while those with DAF showed 100% removal of phytoplankton and zooplankton.