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Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Comparison of Scale in a Photosynthetic Reactor System for Algal Remediation of Wastewater
Published on: March 6, 2017
Microalgal bacterial flocs treating paper mill effluent: A sunlight-based approach for removing carbon, nitrogen,
Sofie Van Den Hende1, André Rodrigues2, Helen Hamaekers3
1Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, B-9000 Gent, Belgium(2); Laboratory of Industrial Water and Eco-Technology (LIWET), Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Graaf Karel de Goedelaan 5, B-8500 Kortrijk, Belgium(3); ESPOL Polytechnic University, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Centro Nacional de Acuicultura e Investigaciones Marinas (CENAIM), Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km. 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador(4); ESPOL Polytechnic University, Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral, ESPOL, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Campus Gustavo Galindo, Km. 30.5 Vía Perimetral, P.O. Box 09-01-5863, Guayaquil, Ecuador(5).
Abstract:
Treatment of upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) effluent from a paper mill in aerated activated sludge reactors involves high aeration costs. Moreover, this calcium-rich effluent leads to problematic scale formation. Therefore, a novel strategy for the aerobic treatment of paper mill UASB effluent in microalgal bacterial floc sequencing batch reactors (MaB-floc SBRs) is proposed, in which oxygen is provided via photosynthesis, and calcium is removed via bio-mineralization. Based on the results of batch experiments in the course of this study, a MaB-floc SBR was operated at an initial neutral pH. This SBR removed 58±21% organic carbon, 27±8% inorganic carbon, 77±5% nitrogen, 73±2% phosphorus, and 27±11% calcium. MaB-flocs contained 10±3% calcium, including biologically-influenced calcite crystals. The removal of calcium and inorganic carbon by MaB-flocs significantly decreased when inhibiting extracellular carbonic anhydrase (CA), an enzyme that catalyses the hydration and dehydration of CO2. This study demonstrates the potential of MaB-floc SBRs for the alternative treatment of calcium-rich paper mill effluent, and highlights the importance of extracellular CA in this treatment process.
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