SnO2-montmorillonite composite for removal and inhibition Microcystis aeruginosa assisted by UV-light

Cyanobacterial blooms have become a serious pollution problem,in particular,for water resources.Microcystis aeruginosa(M.aeruginosa)is most common toxic cyanobacterial bloom in fresh waters.In this paper,Sn O_2-montmorillonite composite was prepared by ion exchange method and applied to remove M.aeruginosa with the assistance of UV-light.The structure of the resulting composite was identified by XRD,IR and TEM.It was determined that some Sn O_2nanoparticles were inserted into the interlayer of montmorillonite and some were dispersed on the surface of montmorillonite.M.aeruginosa removal efficiency was judged by the rate of 95%after treatment with 0.3 g/L Sn O_2-montmorillonite for 1 h.Sn O_2-montmorillonite composite absorbed M.aeruginosa and promoted M.aeruginosa lysis by damaging cell wall and membrane.The cellular contents,including protein and chlorophyll a,were then degraded with the assistance of UV-light,which inhibited the biological activity of M.aeruginosa.In fact,Sn O_2-montmorillonite composite removed M.aeruginosa by combination of adsorption flocculation and UV-induced catalytic degradation.Sn O_2-montmorillonite shows promise to become an effective material for the removal of algae and the cyanobacteria bloom.