Characteristics and Reactivity of Algae-Produced Dissolved Organic Carbon
Publication: Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 11
Abstract
Algae (green, blue–green, and diatom) grown in inorganic media produced particulate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC). DOC produced by a green-alga contains 25% hydrophobic acids. DOC from all algae had specific ultraviolet absorbance values less than . Algae-produced DOC was biologically labile; greater than 60% degraded in bioreactors within 5 days. The biodegradable material likely included carbohydrates, amino acids, and amino sugars, which were present in hydrophobic acid isolates. Chlorination of algal DOC formed disinfection by-products; DOC from the green alga, Scenedesmus quadricauda, produced chloroform , dichloroacetic acid , and trichloroacetic acid . This work complements other studies, which focused on algal total organic carbon (DOC and cellular material), and clearly demonstrates the importance of identifying algae-derived sources of DOC in water supplies and removing such DOC in water treatment plants prior to chlorination.
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Acknowledgments
Funding for this study is provided by the City of Phoenix. The writers would like to thank David Lowry and Thomas Dempster.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Environmental Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 11 • November 2005
Pages: 1574 - 1582
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 2, 2004
Accepted: Nov 15, 2004
Published online: Nov 1, 2005
Published in print: Nov 2005
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