Document Type : Research Article
Authors
1
School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden, Gelugor 11800, Penang, Malaysia
2
Department of Marine Science, Kulliyyah of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Bandar Indera Mahkota, Kuantan 25200, Pahang, Malaysia
3
Fisheries Research Institute (FRI), Department of Fisheries Malaysia, Batu Maung 11960, Penang
4
- Research Center for Applied Microbiology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, Bogor 16911, Indonesia - Research Collaboration Center for Marine Biomaterials, Jatinangor 45360, Indonesia
5
Department of Chemistry, University of Saskatchewan, 110 Science Place, Room 165 Thorvaldson Building, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C9, Canada
10.24200/sci.2025.66108.9854
Abstract
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) pose significant threats to public health, tourism, fisheries, and ecosystems. This study investigates the use of rice husk ash silica/chitosan composite films reinforced with (3-glycidyloxypropyl)triethoxysilane (CHT/SiO2/GPTEOS) and glycerol (CHT/SiO2/Gly) for the controlled removal of toxic HABs cells, Alexandrium minutum. IR spectral results confirm that crosslinking within the films occurs through condensation reactions and hydrogen bonding between silanol (Si-OH), hydroxyl (-OH), and amine (-NH2) groups. The algal removal efficiency (RE;%) of CHT/SiO2/Gly was 26.5±10.81%, while CHT/SiO2/GPTEOS achieved a markedly higher RE of 50.06 ± 11.90%. The lower RE of CHT/SiO2/Gly was attributed to the film’s swelling, which allowed trapped algae cells to escape, and reduced electrostatic interactions between the negatively charged algae cells and the film surface. Digital microscopy analysis revealed that the algae cells attached to the CHT/SiO2/Gly ruptured due to the stress exerted by the amine groups. Meanwhile, the structure of the algae cells remained intact on CHT/SiO2/GPTEOS. The films were easily separated from the algae culture and exhibited excellent biodegradability, degrading completely within 30 days of burial in soil. These findings demonstrate the potential of CHT/SiO2/GPTEOS as an environmentally sustainable material for recovery and mitigating effects of HABs.
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