Rapid removal of green algae by the magnetic method

Abstract

This research described the magnetic method for the rapid removal of green algae in water. We modified the pH, cation concentration, and magnetic powder concentration to discover the best removal performance. In order to rapidly remove green algae from water, we added magnetic powder and chitosan into algae water to make a magnetic substance and this was extracted by a strong neodymium magnet. The optimized conditions were pH of 6.5-7.5, chitosan concentration of 10 mg/L, and magnetite powder concentration of less than 0.05%. A higher removing rate was observed when a higher amount of magnetite or chitosan was used, but the total amounts of phosphorus or nitrogen were not decreased. © Copyright The Korean Society of Environmental Engineers.