Oxidation of the cyanobacterial hepatotoxin microcystin-LR by chlorine dioxide:: Influence of natural organic matter

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are known producers of cytotoxic, hepatotoxic, and neurotoxic compounds with severe acute and chronic effects on vertebrates. Successful removal of these toxins in drinking water treatment is therefore of importance for public health. In the present work the oxidation of the cyanobacterial hepatotoxin microcystin-LR (MC-LR) by chlorine dioxide (ClO2) was studied at natural microcystin concentrations (10 mu g L-1) and normal ClO2 dosages (1 mg L-1) in the absence and presence of natural organic matter (NOM). ClO2 was found to be rapidly consumed by fulvic and humic acids, leaving less residual ClO2 to oxidize MC-LR. Predicted decrease rates in MUR concentration correlated highly with experimental data both in pure water and in the presence of NOM. Rate constants determined at high ClO2 and MCLR concentrations in pure water could be used to prediathe oxidation of MUR at natural concentrations. Toxicity tests with a protein phosphatase inhibition assay on reaction solutions and high-performance liquid chromatography fractions revealed that PPI enzyme inhibition emerged only from intact MUR, while the oxidation products, dihydroxy isomers of MUR, were nontoxic even at unnaturally high concentrations.