The presence of cyanotoxins in surface and drinking water is a serious threat to the environment and human health. The most dangerous and widespread cyanotoxins include the microcystin and nodularin families (hepatotoxin), domoic acid (neurotoxin), and cylindrospermopsin (CYN) (hepatotoxin). The primary goal of these studies is to investigate several innovative technologies for the removal and remediation of selected cyanotoxins. The first involves application of cyclodextrins (CDs) as a host to encapsulate cyanotoxins, microcystin, nodularin and domoic acid. Proton NMR was employed for real-time monitoring of the complexation and encapsulation by different sized CDs and specific toxins. The second application involved TiO2 photocatalysis of CYN, a cyanotoxin which was not complexed by CD, TiO 2 photocatalysis leads to the rapid degradation of CYN. The third part of the research project employed functionalized C60 adducts as renewable photoactive materials for the remediation of cyanotoxins. MCLR was used as a model compound and is readily degraded via singlet oxygen mediated photooxidation by C60 photoinitiated processes.
