Removal of Malachite Green from a Snakehead Fishpond in a Closed-Ecology System for Dragon Fruit Cultivation

Authors

  • Duong Mai Linh

    Institute for Environment and Resources, National University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh 740500, Vietnam; Faculty of Technology-Engineering-Environment, An Giang University, National University of Ho Chi Minh City, Long Xuyên 900000, Vietnam
  • Nguyen Le Minh Tri

    Institute for Environment and Resources, National University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh 740500, Vietnam
  • Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao

    Institute for Environment and Resources, National University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh 740500, Vietnam
  • Nguyen Viet Thang

    Institute for Environment and Resources, National University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh 740500, Vietnam
  • Tran Trung Kien

    Institute for Environment and Resources, National University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh 740500, Vietnam
  • Tran Thi Hieu

    Institute for Environment and Resources, National University of Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh 740500, Vietnam

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v8i3.13127
Received: 4 February 2026 | Revised: 16 March 2026 | Accepted: 20 March 2026 | Published Online: 22 June 2026

Abstract

In this study, g-C3N4 was decorated with Graphene Quantum Dots (GQDs) by using a thermal treatment method. Longer hydrothermal treatment time resulted in larger GQDs, with an average diameter of about 22 nm. This study investigated the effects of the size of GQDs on the photocatalytic performance of malachite green (MG), an organic compound used in aquaculture to prevent parasites, fungi, and bacteria. The incorporation of GQDs resulted in a decrease in the band gaps of the GQDs-loaded g-C3N4 samples and minimized the weight loss of materials during synthesis. The g-C3N4 sample loaded with smaller sizes of GQDs showed a lower MG removal efficiency at the beginning of the light irradiation than that loaded with larger sizes of GQDs, but their MG removal efficiency almost reached an equal efficiency later. The study introduced an innovative approach for examining the size-dependent effects of GQDs on the structural and photocatalytic characteristics of g-C3N4-based photocatalysts, utilizing both comprehensive experimental and statistical analyses. The findings demonstrated that GQD size influenced the structure and photocatalytic activity of photocatalysts. GQDs-loaded g-C3N4 photocatalysts showed their ability to remove MG in wastewater from snakehead fish (Channa striata) in a zero-emission system for dragon fruit cultivation. The study also highlighted the potential application for reducing antimicrobial contamination in wastewater from aquaculture.

Keywords:

Effect of Size; Quantum Dot; Malachite Green; Snakehead Fish Wastewater; Antimicrobial Contamination; Zero-Emission System

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How to Cite

Mai Linh, D., Tri, N. L. M., Thao, N. T. P., Thang, N. V., Kien, T. . T., & Hieu, T. T. (2026). Removal of Malachite Green from a Snakehead Fishpond in a Closed-Ecology System for Dragon Fruit Cultivation. Research in Ecology, 8(3), 313–327. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v8i3.13127

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Vol.8, Iss.3 (June 2026)

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Article

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Copyright © 2026 Duong Mai Linh, Nguyen Le Minh Tri, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Nguyen Viet Thang, Tran Trung Kien, Tran Thi Hieu

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

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