Release of Microcystin from Microcystis sp. by Pre-Oxidation and Removal of Microcystin by Advanced Drinking Water Treatment

Abstract

Objectives The objectives of this study were to evaluate the characteristics of microcystins (MCs) release form Microcystis sp. in surface water during pre-oxidation process using chlorine and ozone and it’s removal by advanced water treatment process as post process when raw water containing high Microcystis sp. is introduced into the water treatment plant. Methods Raw water which had contained over 400,000 cells/mL of Microcystis sp. were used to evaluate the characteristics of MCs released from Microcyctis sp. and chlorination (Cl2) and ozonation (O3) were used as pre-oxidation process and O3, O3/H2O2, UV/H2O2 and biological activated carbon (BAC) were used as post oxidation process. Results and Discussion As the concentration of chlorine increased, the concentration of released MCs in the water increased, but decreased when higher than 5 mg/L of chlorine dosage. Released MCs were consisted of almost MC-RR (57∼86%) and MC–LR (11∼29%). In the ozone treatment after prechlorination process, the MCs concentration was increased by several fold to dozen fold to compare before ozonation. However, when chlorine dosage was over 3 mg/L, MCs were rapidly removed as the ozone concentration increased. The MCs concentration of flocculation/sedimentation treated sample after the pre-oxidation was increased more than two times before treatment, the MCs was continuously released during the coagulation/sedimentation process from the damaged Microcystis sp. due to the prior oxidation process. In the post-oxidation process, O3 and O3/H2O2 processes were more effective for removing MCs than the UV/H2O2 process, and O3 and O3/H2O2 processes removed 100% of the MCs when O3 was added above 1 mg/L. 100% and 93% were removed respectively at 15 minutes of EBCT (empty bed contact time) in the BAC process, when the MCs concentrations of influent were 0.8 µg/L and 2.8 µg/L. The biodegradability of MC-LR was lower than that of MC-RR. It was necessary to increase the EBCT of the BAC process when the concentrations of MCs or the ratio of MC-LR were high. Conclusions Although, pre-oxidation treatment to the raw water containing high concentration of Microcystis release higher MCs concentration in the oxidized water, that can be removed by post O3, O3/H2O2, UV/H2O2 and BAC processes. The removal rate of MCs by O3 process was higher than that of UV-AOP process, and 93∼99% of MCs removed with 15 min of EBCT in BAC process. In the drinking water treatment plant where the pre-oxidation process is applied to improve the efficiency of the flocculation/sedimentation process during the blooming season of Microcystis sp., O3/BAC process after the flocculation/sedimentation process is recommendable to MCs remove. Key words: Microcystis sp., Microcystin, Pre-Oxidation, Release, Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP), Biological Activated Carbon (BAC)