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Effective harvesting of the microalgae Cyclotella via autoflocculation and bioflocculation

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Abstract

One of the important living organisms in stagnant waters, surface waters, water reservoirs, pools and dams is microalgae. Various methods have been developed and studied for the removal of these microscopic organisms from drinking water, of which the sedimentation or flocculation is one of the significant methods. The method is based on using sediments substance or flocculants. This study aimed to introduce feasible, harmless and suitable biological flocculants and evaluate their ability to precipitate Cyclotella diatoms. The presence of a large number of Cyclotella diatoms in water creates an unpleasant color and odor in the water. For this purpose, autoflocculation–sedimentation and bioflocculation processes were used to harvest Cyclotella. The effect of pH, mixing speed and time on harvest efficiency for autoflocculation–sedimentation and bioflocculation processes was investigated. The autoflocculation results showed that the removal efficiency increased with increasing pH, decreasing mixing speed and increasing settling time. For bioflocculation, Scenedesmus microalgae were used to isolate Cyclotella diatoms, and by examining the parameters affecting the rate of microalgae isolation, the optimal conditions have been determined. The ratio of 1:1 combination of microalgae–diatomaceous earth and pH = 10 and residence time of 120 min can yield up to 83% isolation and sedimentation of Cyclotella microalgae, which is a very efficient and inexpensive environmentally friendly method for the separation of infected microalgae from used drinking water.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank all who assisted in conducting this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

    H. Bakhtiari, L. Taghavi & M. Ramezani

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

    S. A. Mirbagheri

  3. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

    T. Rajaee

Authors
  1. H. Bakhtiari
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  2. L. Taghavi
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  3. S. A. Mirbagheri
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  4. T. Rajaee
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  5. M. Ramezani
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Correspondence to L. Taghavi.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Editorial responsibilty: Samareh Mirkia.

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Bakhtiari, H., Taghavi, L., Mirbagheri, S.A. et al. Effective harvesting of the microalgae Cyclotella via autoflocculation and bioflocculation. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 19, 6421–6428 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-021-03834-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-021-03834-w

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