Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 23, 2026

A Novel Bioreactor for High Density Cultivation of Diverse Microbial Communities
Published on: December 25, 2015
Nitrification by microalgal-bacterial consortia for ammonium removal in flat panel sequencing batch photo-bioreactors
A M Rada-Ariza1, C M Lopez-Vazquez1, N P van der Steen1
1IHE Delft, Institute for Water Education, 2601 DA Delft, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Ammonium removal from artificial wastewater by microalgal-bacterial consortia in a flat-panel reactor (FPR1) was compared with a microalgae-only flat-panel reactor (FPR2). The microalgal-bacterial consortia removed ammonium at higher rates (100±18mgNH4+-NL-1d-1) than the microalgae (44±16mgNH4+-NL-1d-1), after the system achieved a stable performance at a 2days hydraulic retention time. Nitrifiers present in the microalgae-bacteria consortia increased the ammonium removal: the ammonium removal rate by nitrifiers and by algae in FPR1 was, respectively, 50(±18) and 49(±22)mgNH4+-NL-1d-1. Apparently ammonium removal by algae was not significantly different between FPR1 and FPR2. The activity of the nitrifiers did not negatively affect the nitrogen uptake by algae, but improved the total ammonium removal rate of FPR1.
Related Concept Videos
Metabolism of Chemolithotrophs
Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation
Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism
The largest pool of nitrogen available in the terrestrial ecosystem is gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air, but this...
Environmental Applications of Microorganisms
Anoxygenic Phototrophic Bacteria

