Abstract

The development of salmon farming in the southern regions of Chile has made it necessary to transport salmon in well boats, from farming areas to processing plants. One of the problems with this means of transport is the transfer of the vegetative cells of Alexandrium catenella from areas of greater risk, especially in spring and summer which is the period of greatest occurrence of Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB). The main objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of Bioionix's electro-chemical technology on the vegetative cell of A. catenella viability. In June 2016 an experiment was carried out under controlled conditions, where A. catenella (2000 cells mL-1) was subjected to four doses: 0.13, 0.33, 0.79, 1.59 Ampere / liter * minutes, using Bioionix electrochemical technology. After 21 days of culture of A. catenella, the growth rates were negative for the doses of 0.79 and 1.59 A ·L-1 · min-1. In February 2018, given the presence of a bloom of A. catenella in the region of Aysén, an experiment was carried out to test these doses under field conditions, in Seno Canalad (44° 35' 26''S, 73° 18' 51''W). The phytoplanktonic community was constituted by diatoms and dinoflagellates, where the concentration of A. catenella varied 24 and 79 cells mL-1. In the samples collected through the water intake of the well boat (Patagón IV), where the bioionix 6500 equipment was installed, three doses were tested: 0.79, 1.59 and 3.18 A L-1 min-1. The samples were then filtered and placed in flasks with L1 culture medium, with and without germanium dioxide. The flasks were taken to the laboratory and kept in controlled conditions for 11 days, observing the growth and morphology of A. catenella. The results indicate that the dose of 3.18 A L-1 min-1 produced inactivation or death of all cells of A. catenella and the phytoplankton community, while the other doses partially affected the growth of A. catenella. It is concluded that this dose could be used to inactivate vegetative cells of A. catenella in the well boat.