Fate of H₂S during the cultivation of Chlorella sp. deployed for biogas upgrading

The H₂S may play a key role in the sulfur cycle among the biogas production by the anaerobic digestion of wastes and the biogas upgrading by a microalgae based technology. The biogas is upgraded by contacting with slightly alkaline aqueous microalgae culture, then CO₂ and H₂S are absorbed. The dissolved H₂S could limit or inhibit the microalgae growth. This paper evaluated the role of dissolved H₂S and other sulfured byproducts under prevailing biogas upgrading conditions using a microalgal technology. At initial stages of batch cultivation the growth of Chlorella sp. was presumably inhibited by dissolved H₂S. After 2 days, the sulfides were oxidized mainly by oxic chemical reactions to sulfate, which was later rapidly assimilated by Chlorella sp., allowing high growing rates. The fate of H₂S during the microalgae cultivation at pH > 8.5 was assessed by a mathematical model where the pentasulfide, thiosulfate and sulfite were firstly produced and converted finally to sulfate for posterior assimilation.