Utilization of wastewaters as a nutrient medium for the accumulation of microalgal biomass
A.V. Gogonin, T.N. Shchemelinina, E.M. Anchugova
Section: Population ecology
Cultivating microalgae using wastewater nutrients is a potential approach to realize resource recovery that can contribute to circular economy. However, wastewaters discharged from pulp and paper mills contain high concentrations of recalcitrant compounds such as metal ions, phenols, nitrogen compounds, sulfur, phosphorus, that exceed quality standard values, that is why microalgae-based approaches are a solution to cope with wastewater treatment and simultaneous biomass accumulation. To address those problems, we investigated microalgal cultivation fed with nutrients from wastewaters, synthetic, and semi-synthetic media. This study employed the species of Chlorella genus adapted for technologies of algal ponds and stepwise bioprocessing approaches. Biotechnological properties of Chlorella vulgaris f. globosa strain were evaluated in a series of laboratory experiments testing a range of regimes and conditions. Results showed that C. vulgaris f. globosa grew well on both semi-synthetic Liuk’s medium and synthetic conventional media because of its similar nutrient profile to a common algal growth medium, but wastewaters were found to be the most appropriate for scaling up of beneficial acclimatized biomass production. Microalgae inoculation affects the content of major pollutants while treating real wastewater of Mondi Syktyvkar JSC. Nutrients, metal ions, and other recalcitrant pollutants were effectively removed by this strain with removal efficiencies of 74–79% NH4+-N, 42–44% NO3--N, 25–50% total phosphorus, 6.4% total sulfur, and 62–70% of phenols, respectively. After microalgal cells having been deposited and harvested, chemical parameters of the wastewater processed were in compliance with quality standards for fishery waterbodies. It might be useful, in a framework of further studies, to assess toxicity of the biomass harvested and its applicability for agriculture.
ISSN 1995-4301
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