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Chlorella pyrenoidosa cultivation in outdoors using the diluted anaerobically digested activated sludge
Xiao-Bo Tan1, Li-Bin Yang1, Ya-Lei Zhang1
1State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, Key Laboratory of Yangtze Water Environment for Ministry of Education, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China.
Freshwater green algae Chlorella pyrenoidosa successfully grew outdoors in diluted anaerobically digested activated sludge. Optimal conditions in summer yielded high biomass and lipid productivity while effectively removing wastewater nutrients.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Biotechnology
- Algal Biology
Background:
- Wastewater treatment presents challenges in nutrient and organic matter removal.
- Microalgae cultivation offers a sustainable approach for resource recovery from wastewater.
- Chlorella pyrenoidosa is a promising microalgal species for biomass and biofuel production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the outdoor cultivation of Chlorella pyrenoidosa using diluted anaerobically digested activated sludge (ADAS).
- To determine the optimal ratio of settled-tank effluent to ADAS for microalgae growth and nutrient removal.
- To assess the impact of seasonal variations on microalgal performance and wastewater treatment efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Outdoor batch cultivation of Chlorella pyrenoidosa with varying ratios of settled-tank effluent to ADAS (STE/ADAS = 1.5/1, 3/1, and 5/1, v/v).
- Monitoring of seasonal environmental conditions (temperature, light intensity, etc.).
- Quantification of biomass concentration, biomass productivity, lipid productivity, and nutrient removal (CODcr, N, P).
Main Results:
- Chlorella pyrenoidosa demonstrated normal growth across different seasons in diluted ADAS.
- The optimal STE/ADAS ratio of 1.5/1 in summer resulted in maximum biomass concentration (1.97 g/L) and productivity (291.52 g/m(3)/day).
- Summer cultivation at STE/ADAS=1.5/1 achieved maximum lipid productivity (37.49 g/m(3)/day) and significant nutrient removal (105.6 mg CODcr/L/day, 36.8 mg N/L/day, 6.1 mg P/L/day).
Conclusions:
- Diluted ADAS is a viable medium for outdoor Chlorella pyrenoidosa cultivation.
- Seasonal factors significantly influence microalgae growth and nutrient removal efficiency.
- Optimized cultivation parameters, particularly in summer, enhance biomass and lipid yields while effectively treating wastewater.
