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Detection of Cyanobacteria in Eutrophic Water Using a Portable Electrocoagulator and NanoGene Assay
journal contribution
posted on 2018-01-05, 00:00 authored by Eun-Hee Lee, Beelee Chua, Ahjeong SonWe
have demonstrated the detection of cyanobacteria in eutrophic
water samples using a portable electrocoagulator and NanoGene assay.
The electrocoagulator is designed to preconcentrate cyanobacteria
from water samples prior to analysis via NanoGene assay. Using Microcystis aeruginosa laboratory culture and environmental
samples (cell densities ranging from 1.7 × 105 to
4.1 × 106 and 6.5 × 103 to 6.6 ×
107 cells·mL–1, respectively), the
electrocoagulator was evaluated and compared with a conventional centrifuge.
Varying the operation duration from 0 to 300 s with different cell
densities was first investigated. Preconcentration efficiencies (obtained
via absorbance measurement) and dry cell weight of preconcentrated
cyanobacteria were then obtained and compared. For laboratory samples
at cell densities from 3.2 × 105 to 4.1 × 106 cells·mL–1, the preconcentration efficiencies
of electrocoagulator appeared to be stable at ∼60%. At lower
cell densities (1.7 and 2.2 × 105 cells·mL–1), the preconcentration efficiencies decreased to
33.9 ± 0.2 and 40.4 ± 5.4%, respectively. For environmental
samples at cell densities of 2.7 × 105 and 6.6 ×
107 cells·mL–1, the electrocoagulator
maintained its preconcentration efficiency at ∼60%. On the
other hand, the centrifuge’s preconcentration efficiencies
decreased to nondetectable and below 40%, respectively. This shows
that the electrocoagulator outperformed the centrifuge when using
eutrophic water samples. Finally, the compatibility of the electrocoagulator
with the NanoGene assay was verified via the successful detection
of the microcystin synthetase D (mcyD) gene in environmental
samples. The viability of the electrocoagulator as an in situ compatible
alternative to the centrifuge is also discussed.