Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Climate Action (SDG 13)
Overview on in situ treatments for mitigating cyanobacterial harmful blooms (cyano-HABs) in surface waters Maria G. Antoniou * , Nikoletta Tsiarta, and Eleni C. Keliri Department of Chemical Engineering, Cyprus University of Technology, 3036 Lemesos, Cyprus. E-mail: maria.antoniou@cut.ac.cy Mitigating cyanobacteria harmful blooms (cyano-HABs) at source through efficient, cost effective, and safe for the entire ecosystem techniques has currently become a global environmental urgency [1] . In order to meet the Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Climate Action (SDG 13) of the UN, action must be taken now, especially since the toxins that are produced are finally part of the EU Directive that monitors the quality of water intended for human consumption [2] . Physical, chemical, and biological chemical treatments have been used so far to combat toxic cyanobacteria with various efficiencies and costs. This presentation will give an overview on the available treatment while emphasis will be given on chemical oxidation processes [3] . In brief, cooper based algicides, herbicides, and pesticides may be efficient, but they are extremely toxic and are banned in Europe and select states in the US. However, their usage is still allowed in a number of countries (especially in Africa) endangering the livelihood of humans and natural habitats. Peroxide based oxidants have been used the past decade as a more environmentally friendly technology to copper algicides [4] . The cost and environmental benefits of each treatment will be presented through actual case studies that have applied these treatments. Key words: Cyanobacteria, cyanotoxins, advanced oxidation processes, in situ treatment References 1. Jussi Meriluoto et al, Handbook of cyanobacterial monitoring and cyanotoxin analysis, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2017 2. World Health Organization (WHO). (2018). Cyanobacterial toxins: Microcystin-LR in drinking-water. 3. Anastasia Hiskia, Dionysioos Dionysiou, Maria G. Antoniou, Triantafyllos Kaloudis, Theodoros Triantis Water Treatment for Purification from Cyanobacteria and Cyanotoxins, Wiley (09/2020). ISBN: 978-1-118-92861-5. 4. Eleni Keliri, Panayiota Adamou, Nektarios Efstathiou, Despoina Kokkinidou, Konstantinos Kapnisis, Andreas S. Anayiotos, Hanna Mazur-Marzec, and Maria G. Antoniou. Calcium peroxide (CaO2) granules enclosed in fabrics as an alternative H2O2 delivery system to combat Microcystis sp. Chemical Engineering Journal Advances, 11 (2022) 100318.
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