Comparison of nutrient removal capacity and biomass settleability of four high-potential microalgal species

• Published in: Bioresource technology Vol. 124; pp. 157 - 162
• Main Authors: Su, Yanyan, Mennerich, Artur, Urban, Brigitte
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-11-2012
• Subjects: Algae; Algal biomass settleability; Assimilation; Biomass; Biomass productivity; Chlamydomonas reinhardtii; Chlorella vulgaris; Cyanobacteria; Environmental Restoration and Remediation - methods; High-potential; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Microalgae - classification; Microalgae - metabolism; Nitrogen - metabolism; Nutrient removal; Nutrients; Oxygen - metabolism; Phormidium; Phosphorus - metabolism; Productivity; Scenedesmus; Species Specificity; Unicellular microalgae species; Nutrient removal; Algal biomass settleability; Biomass productivity; Unicellular microalgae species; High-potential
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2012.08.037

► Comparison of four algae for nutrient removal, biomass settleability and generation. ► Algal uptake was the main N and P removal mechanism for all the four algae. ► Three green algae species were suitable for water treatment and biomass production. ► Algal settleability should be concerned in the species selection of coupling system.
Four common used microalgae species were compared in terms of settleability, nutrient removal capacity and biomass productivity. After 1month training, except cyanobacteria Phormidium sp., three green microalgae species, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus rubescens, showed good settleability. The N and P removal efficiency was all above 99% within 7, 4, 6 and 6days for N and 4, 2, 3 and 4days for P, resulting in the N removal rates of 3.66±0.17, 6.39±0.20, 4.39±0.06 and 4.31±0.18mgN/l/d and P removal rates of 0.56±0.07, 0.89±0.05, 0.76±0.09 and 0.60±0.05mg P/l/d for Phormidium sp., C. reinhardtii, C. vulgaris and S. rubescens, respectively. Phormidium sp. had the lowest algal biomass productivity (2.71±0.7g/m2/d) and the other three green microalgae showed higher algal biomass productivity (around 6g/m2/d). Assimilation into biomass was the main removal mechanism for N and P.