Biomaterial Database

Removal of cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins from lake water by composites of bentonite with micelles of the cation octadecyltrimethyl ammonium (ODTMA). 2017

Assaf Sukenik, and Yehudit Viner-Mozzini, and Mordechay Tavassi, and Shlomo Nir

Kinneret Limnological Laboratory, Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, P.O.Box 447, Migdal, 14950, Israel. Electronic address: assaf@ocean.org.il.

Cyanobacteria and their toxins present potential hazard to consumers of water from lakes, reservoirs and rivers, thus their removal via water treatment is essential. The capacity of nano-composites of Octadecyltrimethyl-ammonium (ODTMA) complexed with clay to remove cyanobacterial and their toxins from laboratory cultures and from lake water, was evaluated. Column filters packed with micelles of ODTMA complexed with bentonite and granulated were shown to significantly reduce the number of cyanobacteria cells or filaments and their corresponding toxins from laboratory cultures. Fluorescence measurements demonstrated that cyanobacteria cells lost their metabolic activity (photosynthesis) upon exposure to the micelle (ODTMA)-bentonite complex, or ODTMA monomers. The complex efficiently removed cyanobacteria toxins with an exceptional high removal rate of microcystins. The effectiveness of the complex in elimination of cyanobacteria was further demonstrated with lake water containing cyanobacteria and other phytoplankton species. These results and model calculations suggest that filters packed with granulated composites can secure the safety of drinking water in case of a temporary bloom event of toxic cyanobacteria.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008823	Micelles	Particles consisting of aggregates of molecules held loosely together by secondary bonds. The surface of micelles are usually comprised of amphiphatic compounds that are oriented in a way that minimizes the energy of interaction between the micelle and its environment. Liquids that contain large numbers of suspended micelles are referred to as EMULSIONS.	Micelle
D002412	Cations	Positively charged atoms, radicals or groups of atoms which travel to the cathode or negative pole during electrolysis.	Cation
D000458	Cyanobacteria	A phylum of oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria comprised of unicellular to multicellular bacteria possessing CHLOROPHYLL a and carrying out oxygenic PHOTOSYNTHESIS. Cyanobacteria are the only known organisms capable of fixing both CARBON DIOXIDE (in the presence of light) and NITROGEN. Cell morphology can include nitrogen-fixing heterocysts and/or resting cells called akinetes. Formerly called blue-green algae, cyanobacteria were traditionally treated as ALGAE.	Algae, Blue-Green,Blue-Green Bacteria,Cyanophyceae,Algae, Blue Green,Bacteria, Blue Green,Bacteria, Blue-Green,Blue Green Algae,Blue Green Bacteria,Blue-Green Algae
D001427	Bacterial Toxins	Toxic substances formed in or elaborated by bacteria; they are usually proteins with high molecular weight and antigenicity; some are used as antibiotics and some to skin test for the presence of or susceptibility to certain diseases.	Bacterial Toxin,Toxins, Bacterial,Toxin, Bacterial
D001546	Bentonite	A colloidal, hydrated aluminum silicate that swells 12 times its dry size when added to water.	Montmorillonite,Montmorrillonite
D052998	Microcystins	Cyclic heptapeptides found in MICROCYSTIS and other CYANOBACTERIA. Hepatotoxic and carcinogenic effects have been noted. They are sometimes called cyanotoxins, which should not be confused with chemicals containing a cyano group (CN) which are toxic.	Cyanoginosins
D060106	Lakes	Inland bodies of still or slowly moving FRESH WATER or salt water, larger than a pond, and supplied by RIVERS and streams.	Soda Lakes,Lake,Lakes, Soda
D064751	Ammonium Compounds	Inorganic compounds that include a positively charged tetrahedral nitrogen (ammonium ion) as part of their structure. This class of compounds includes a broad variety of simple ammonium salts and derivatives.	Ammonium