Potential of cyanobacterial biofilms in phosphate removal and biomass production

Four cyanobacterial biofilms, raised from cyanobacterial mats and dominated by Phormidium and Oscillatoria spp., were successfully grown attached to polyester mesh discs, and were tested for their probable application in [Formula: see text] -P removal from domestic sewage and other nutrient enriched wastewaters. Biofilm # 2, dominated by Phormidium fragile, best removed [Formula: see text] -P; nevertheless, some of it also grew outside the substrate making harvesting difficult. Other biofilms also efficiently removed [Formula: see text] -P from the medium in the following order: Biofilm # 1 > Biofilm # 3 > Biofilm # 4. Their growths were restricted to discs and are therefore better candidates as they can be efficiently harvested after [Formula: see text] -P removal. [Formula: see text] -P removal was primarily due to its uptake during growth of the biofilm rather than because of precipitation as pH of the medium remained <8.5. [Formula: see text] -N concentration in the medium determined [Formula: see text] -P removal efficiency of the test biofilms and therefore optimum N:P ratio is necessary for optimizing [Formula: see text] -P removal. The test biofilms could also efficiently remove [Formula: see text] -N from the medium.