title: The efficiency of a new hydrodynamic cavitation pilot system on Artemia salina cysts and natural population of copepods and bacteria under controlled mesocosm conditions.
abstract: A study of the efficiency of hydrodynamic cavitation and separation was carried out to evaluate an innovative, environmentally safe and acceptable system for ballast water treatment for reducing the risk of introducing non-native species worldwide. Mesocosm experiments were performed to assess the morphological changes and viability of zooplankton (copepods), Artemia salina cysts, and the growth potential of marine bacteria after the hydrodynamic cavitation treatment with a different number of cycles. Our preliminary results confirmed the significant efficiency of the treatment since more than 98% of the copepods and A. salina cysts were damaged, in comparison with the initial population. The efficiency increased with the number of the hydrodynamic cavitation cycles, or in combination with a separation technique for cysts. There was also a significant decrease in bacterial abundance and growth rate, compared to the initial number and growth potential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Civil Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Hajdrihova 28, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: martina_cvetkovic@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cvetković
authors.affiliation: Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, SI-6330 Piran, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Mateja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grego
authors.affiliation: Marine Biology Station Piran, National Institute of Biology, SI-6330 Piran, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Turk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001156:Artemia; D001419:Bacteria; D033342:Copepoda; D003560:Cysts; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Artemia salina cysts; Ballast water; Copepods; Heterotrophic marine bacteria; Hydrodynamic cavitation