[Extinguishment of harmful algae by organo-clay]

Periodic and widespread algal blooms have caused a variety of problems for aquatic life and human activity throughout the world. Currently, the only remedial practice employed for removing algal blooms is to spread clay on the surface of the water. But, the algal removal efficiency by the crude minerals are not really ideal, and how to improve the capability of clays to remove algae is now the technological focus, which also is fatal to the practical value of clays. In this study, hexadecyltrimethyleamine bromide (HDTMAB), one kind of cationic organo-surfactants, was chosen to improve kaolin by surface sorption and cationic exchange, and was tested to remove Prorocentrum donghaiense, a red tide organism in Donghai Sea. The results indicated that organo-clay had an excellent ability to extinguish red tide organisms, even under the application of 0.01 g.L-1, and could subside more than 95% red tide organisms in 24 h. The efficient algae removal by organo-clay might be from the reversal of the surface electric charge on clay particles, the "net capture" by the long lipoid chains of HDTMAB, and the local high density of HDTMAB on particles surface, which could effectively kill algal cells.