Effect of gaseous cement industry effluents on four species of microalgae

Experiments were performed at lab scale in order to test the possibility to grow microalgae with CO2 from gaseous effluent of cement industry. Four microalgal species (Dunaliella tertiolecta, Chlorella vulgaris, Thalassiosira weissflogii, and Isochrysis galbana), representing four different phyla were grown with CO2 enriched air or with a mixture of gasses mimicking the composition of a typical cement flue gas (CFG). In a second stage, the culture submitted to the CFG received an increasing concentration of dust characteristic of cement industry. Results show that growth for the four species is not affected by the CFG. Dust added at realistic concentrations do not have any impact on growth. For dust concentrations in two ranges of magnitude higher, microalgae growth was inhibited.