Understanding transparent exopolymer particle occurrence and interaction with algae, bacteria, and the fractions of natural organic matter in the Red Sea: implications for seawater desalination
Type
ArticleAuthors
Dehwah, Abdullah H. A.Anderson, Donald M.
Li, Sheng
Mallon, Francis
Batang, Zenon B.

Alshahri, Abdullah

Tsegaye, Seneshaw
Hegy, Michael
Missimer, Thomas M.
KAUST Department
Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) DivisionEnvironmental Science and Engineering Program
Field & Lab Research Support
Marine Operations
Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC), Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
Water Desalination and Reuse Research Center (WDRC)
Date
2020Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/670152
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Binding of particulate and dissolved organic matter in the water column by marine gels allows the sinking and cycling of organic matter into the deeper water of the Red Sea and other marine water bodies. A series of four offshore profiles were made at which concentrations of bacteria, algae, particulate transparent exopolymer particles (p-TEP), colloidal transparent exopolymer particles (c-TEP), and the fractions of natural organic matter (NOM), including biopolymers, humic substances, building blocks, low molecular weight (LMW) neutrals, and LMW acids were measured to depths ranging from 90 to 300 m. It was found that a statistically-significant relationship occurs between the concentrations of p-TEP with bacteria and algae, but not with total organic carbon (TOC) in the offshore profiles. Variation in the biopolymer fraction of NOM in relationship to TEP and bacteria suggests that extra-cellular discharges of polysaccharides and proteins from the bacteria and algae are occurring without immediate abiotic assembly into p-TEP. In the water column below the photic zone, TOC, bacteria, and biopolymers show a generally common rate of reduction in concentration, but p-TEP decreases at a diminished rate, showing that it persists in moving organic carbon deeper into the water column despite consumption by bacteria. The data presented herein are the first to link TEP concentrations in the Red Sea with the fractions of NOM as measured using liquid chromatography organic carbon detection (LCOCD) technology. The oceanographic and water quality investigations show the sea-water used for reverse osmosis desalination from the nearshore or offshore would yield nearly equal treatment challenges. Use of deep water intake systems to obtain seawater with reduced p-TEP and bacteria concentrations would not significantly impact treatment if it would be feasible which is not.Citation
Dehwah, A. H. A., Anderson, D. M., Li, S., Mallon, F. L., Batang, Z., Alshahri, A. H., … Missimer, T. M. (2020). Understanding transparent exopolymer particle occurrence and interaction with algae, bacteria, and the fractions of natural organic matter in the Red Sea: implications for seawater desalination. DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENT, 192, 78–96. doi:10.5004/dwt.2020.25942Sponsors
The offshore sample collection was provided by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Coastal and Marine Resources Core Laboratory. Analytical work was funded by the Water Desalination and Reuse Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Support for DMA was provided by the National Science Foundation (Grants OCE-0850421 OCE-0430724, OCE-0911031, and OCE-1314642) and National Institutes of Health (NIEHS-1P50-ES021923-01) through the Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health.Publisher
Desalination PublicationsJournal
DESALINATION AND WATER TREATMENTAdditional Links
http://www.deswater.com/DWT_abstracts/vol_192/192_2020_78.pdfae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.5004/dwt.2020.25942