Removal of HAB-produced toxins from bodies of water

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9902625-B2
Application number	US-201414476430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2014
Priority date	Sep 3, 2014
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

One or more brevetoxins or other toxins produced by red tides or other harmful algal blooms (HABs) are removed from a body of water by contacting an aqueous phase containing water, algae and one or more HAB-produced toxins with an organic phase, extracting the one or more toxins into the organic phase, and separating the organic phase enriched in the one or more toxins from the aqueous phase depleted in the one or more toxins. In some embodiments, the organic phase is comprised of vegetable oil, mineral oil, or other suitable oil. In some embodiments, an annular centrifugal contactor is used to accomplish the contacting, extracting, and separating. In some embodiments, the toxin-depleted aqueous phase is pumped back into the source of the aqueous phase, and the toxin-enriched organic phase is recirculated until a predetermined threshold concentration of the one or more toxins is met.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of removing one or more toxins produced by a harmful algal bloom (HAB) from a body of water, the method comprising:
providing an aqueous phase comprising water, algae, and one or more HAB-produced toxins;
contacting the aqueous phase with an organic phase;
extracting the one or more HAB-produced toxins into the organic phase to produce an organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins along with an aqueous phase depleted in the one or more HAB-produced toxins, wherein extracting the one or more HAB-produced toxins into the organic phase comprises extracting the one or more HAB-produced toxins into a solvent selected from the group consisting of vegetable oils, mineral oils, and combinations thereof;
separating the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins from the aqueous phase depleted in the one or more HAB-produced toxins.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein providing the aqueous phase comprising water, algae, and one or more HAB-produced toxins comprises pumping from an upper portion of a water column containing Karenia brevis , wherein the algae comprises the Karenia brevis , and wherein the one or more HAB-produced toxins comprises one or more brevetoxins produced by the Kareina brevis.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , further comprising pumping the aqueous phase depleted in the one or more HAB-produced toxins into the water column containing Karenia brevis.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein contacting the aqueous phase with the organic phase comprises mixing the aqueous phase and the organic phase in a mixing zone of an annular centrifugal contactor.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein contacting the aqueous phase with the organic phase, extracting the one or more HAB-produced toxins into the organic phase, and separating the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins from the aqueous phase depleted in the one or more HAB-produced toxins are performed using an annular centrifugal contactor mounted aboard a boat floating proximate a water column containing a HAB.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , further comprising:
pumping the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins out of the annular centrifugal contactor;
recirculating the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins pumped out of the annular centrifugal contactor back into the annular centrifugal contactor.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 , further comprising:
measuring a concentration of the one or more HAB-produced toxins in the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins;
determining whether the concentration of the one or more HAB-produced toxins in the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins exceeds a predetermined threshold.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 , further comprising:
removing the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins from the annular centrifugal contactor if the concentration of the one or more HAB-produced toxins is determined to exceed the predetermined threshold by flowing the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins from the annular centrifugal contactor to a storage tank;
replacing the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins removed from the annular centrifugal contactor with a fresh organic phase flowed into the annular centrifugal contactor from a supply tank.

9. The method as recited in claim 5 , further comprising:
flowing the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins out of the annular centrifugal contactor and into a working tank initially containing a fresh organic phase to produce a diluted organic phase;
recirculating the diluted organic phase from the working tank into the annular centrifugal contactor.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 , further comprising:
measuring a concentration of the one or more HAB-produced toxins in the diluted organic phase;
determining whether the concentration of the one or more HAB-produced toxins in the diluted organic phase exceeds a predetermined threshold.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising:
removing the diluted organic phase from the working tank if the concentration of the one or more HAB-produced toxins in the diluted organic phase is determined to exceed the predetermined threshold by flowing the diluted organic phase from the working tank to a waste tank;
replacing the diluted organic phase removed from the working tank with a fresh organic phase by flowing the fresh organic phase from a supply tank into the working tank.

12. A method of removing one or more toxins produced by a harmful algal bloom (HAB) from a body of water, the method comprising:
providing an aqueous phase comprising water, algae, and one or more HAB-produced toxins;
contacting the aqueous phase with an organic phase;
extracting the one or more HAB-produced toxins into the organic phase to produce an organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins along with an aqueous phase depleted in the one or more HAB-produced toxins;
separating the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins from the aqueous phase depleted in the one or more HAB-produced toxins;
wherein contacting the aqueous phase with the organic phase, extracting the one or more HAB-produced toxins into the organic phase, and separating the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins from the aqueous phase depleted in the one or more HAB-produced toxins are performed using an annular centrifugal contactor;
pumping the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins out of the annular centrifugal contactor;
recirculating the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins pumped out of the annular centrifugal contactor back into the annular centrifugal contactor;
measuring a concentration of the one or more HAB-produced toxins in the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins;
determining whether the concentration of the one or more HAB-produced toxins in the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins exceeds a predetermined threshold.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 , further comprising:
removing the diluted organic phase from the annular centrifugal contactor if the concentration of the one or more HAB-produced toxins in the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins is determined to exceed the predetermined threshold by flowing the diluted organic phase from the annular centrifugal contactor to a storage tank;
replacing the diluted organic phase removed from the annular centrifugal contactor with a fresh organic phase by flowing the fresh organic phase from a supply tank into the annular centrifugal contactor.

14. A method of removing one or more toxins produced by a harmful algal bloom (HAB) from a body of water, the method comprising:
providing an aqueous phase comprising water, algae, and one or more HAB-produced toxins;
contacting the aqueous phase with a diluted organic phase;
extracting the one or more HAB-produced toxins into the diluted organic phase to produce an organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins along with an aqueous phase depleted in the one or more HAB-produced toxins;
separating the organic phase enriched in the one or more HAB-produced toxins from the aqueous phase depleted in the one or more HAB-produced toxins;
wherein contacting the aqueous phase with the organic phase, extracting the one or more HAB-produced toxins into the

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Hebig Travis R
• Kuczynski Joseph
• Nickel Steven R

Classifications

• B01D11/0288

  Applications, solvents · CPC title

• C02F2101/30

  Organic compounds · CPC title

• C02F2103/08

  Seawater, e.g. for desalination · CPC title

• B01D11/0484

  Controlling means · CPC title

• B01D11/0492

  Applications, solvents used · CPC title