Original paper
Separation methods for the concentration of picoplankton
Ambrožová, Jana
Algological Studies/Archiv für Hydrobiologie, Supplement Volumes No. 101 (2001), p. 129 - 135
9 references
published: Apr 1, 2001
DOI: 10.1127/algol_stud/101/2001/129
ArtNo. ESP142013700015, Price: 29.00 €
Abstract
Populations of Synechococcus capitatus, a small cyanobacterium, have been studied in the Janov Reservoir, situated in the Most district of the Czech Republic, since 1997. Untreated water from this basin is used for the drinking water, after treatment in the Janov water works. The investigation of this species was part of a research project supported by the Czech Ministry of Agriculture in Prague, "Toxicological evaluation of microorganisms causing the problems in the technology of water treatment. " Three methods were used in the isolation and concentration of S. capitatus: differential filtration, temperature stratification and dissolved air flotation. This step is done so to obtain enough biomass of this picoplanktic species for use in acute and chronic toxicity bioassays. Differential filtration produced and concentrated material in which 90% of the biomass was composed of S. capitatus. The influence of water temperature stratification on the occurrence and reproduction of S. capitatus was tested under laboratory conditions. Reproduction of this species occurs in a temperature of 12,0-16,5°C. Finally, the dissolved air flotation method was able to successfully separate and concentrate 85% of the biological material. This process, which has been patented in the Czech Republic, can be used in water treatment facilities with a low chance of coagulation.
Keywords
difficultury separable organisms • water blooms • differential filtration • temperature stratification • flotation