Destruction of algal toxins in harmful algae blooms via hydrothermal liquefaction
Gunderson, Kathryn
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/109864
Description
Title
Destruction of algal toxins in harmful algae blooms via hydrothermal liquefaction
Author(s)
Gunderson, Kathryn
Issue Date
2021-04-28
Keyword(s)
Algal toxins
remediation
Abstract
Presented by: Kathryn Gunderson – Graduate Research Assistant at Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, kggunde2@illinois.edu
Co-authors: Lance Schideman, Angela Urban, Martin Page
Abstract: Algal toxins are contaminants with the potential to impose adverse health effects on aquatic life and humans. Algal toxins can be released from harmful algae blooms (HABs) when cyanobacteria begin to decay. HABs are often caused by eutrophication, a result of increased loading of nutrients into the aquatic environment due to industry discharge and agricultural run-off. Algal toxins have been shown to cause economic losses in the millions. Currently considered strategies such as reducing fertilizer use and nutrient limits from point dischargers will generally take years to have the desired effects. Therefore, fast acting strategies must be examined for HAB mitigation. Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) has the ability to convert a variety of biomass sources into biofuels, thus providing an economic value. The high temperature (>250 °C) and high pressure (>75 atm) process has demonstrated deactivation of a range of other potent bio-active micro-contaminants. The potential of HTL to remove algal toxins from naturally occurring HABs by harvesting and converting the biomass to biocrude oil has been evaluated. Samples from Western Lake Erie, New York were used to show the breakdown of a variety of algal toxins including microcystins and nodularin.
Biography: Kathryn received a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Loyola University Chicago. She is currently a second year master’s student in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Series/Report Name or Number
2021 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference (ECEC21)
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