title: Monitoring and removal of cyanobacterial toxins from drinking water by algal-activated carbon.
abstract: Microcystins (MCs) are the most potent toxins that can be produced by cyanobacteria in drinking water supplies. This study investigated the abundance of toxin-producing algae in 11 drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). A total of 26 different algal taxa were identified in treated water, from which 12% were blue green, 29% were green, and 59% were diatoms. MC levels maintained strong positive correlations with number of cyanophycean cells in raw and treated water of different DWTPs. Furthermore, the efficiency of various algal-based adsorbent columns used for the removal of these toxins was evaluated. The MCs was adsorbed in the following order: mixed algal-activated carbon (AAC) ≥ individual AAC > mixed algal powder > individual algal powder. The results showed that the AAC had the highest efficient columns capable of removing 100% dissolved MCs from drinking water samples, thereby offering an economically feasible technology for efficient removal and recovery of MCs in DWTPs.
authors.affiliation: Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt wms01@fayoum.edu.eg.
authors.forename: Wael M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: Emad H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Salim
authors.affiliation: Mansoura Drinking Water Treatment Plant, Mansoura, Egypt.
authors.forename: Yahia A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Azab
authors.affiliation: Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
authors.forename: Abdel-Hamid M
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Ismail
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D000458:Cyanobacteria; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D008387:Marine Toxins / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D052998:Microcystins / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D000087522:Cyanobacteria Toxins; D060766:Drinking Water; D008387:Marine Toxins; D052998:Microcystins; D014873:Water Pollutants; D002244:Carbon
keywords: Algal-activated carbon; cyanobacteria; drinking water treatment plants; microcystins; monitoring; removal