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Cultivation of Green Microalgae in Bubble Column Photobioreactors and an Assay for Neutral Lipids
Published on: January 7, 2019
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Recovery of value-added products by mining microalgae
Ranbin Liu1, Siqi Li1, Yingfan Tu1
1Sino-Dutch R&D Centre for Future Wastewater Treatment Technologies/Key Laboratory of Urban Stormwater System and Water Environment (Ministry of Education), Beijing University of Civil Engineering & Architecture, Beijing, 100044, PR China.
Journal of Environmental Management
|January 23, 2022
Summary
Microalgae cultivated in wastewater can produce valuable products like biofuels and bioplastics, contributing to a circular economy. Tailored protocols are needed for different wastewater types and products to enable commercial-scale production.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Biotechnology
- Circular Economy
Background:
- Microalgae blooms disrupt aquatic ecosystems and drinking water sources.
- Microalgae are valuable primary producers with potential for biofuel, bioplastic, and feed additive production.
- Wastewater contains nutrients essential for microalgae growth, offering a resource for valorization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current research on wastewater-cultivated microalgae for value-added product recovery.
- To compile and discuss wastewater types, cultivation methods, and product yields.
- To provide guidance for scaling up microalgae cultivation for commercial applications.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on microalgae cultivation in various wastewater types.
- Compilation and analysis of data on lipid, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), protein, and astaxanthin yields.
- Discussion of technical protocols for targeted product recovery.
Main Results:
- Wastewater cultivation of microalgae can yield valuable products such as lipids (biofuels) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB, bioplastics).
- Microalgae biomass is also rich in proteins and astaxanthin, suitable for feed additives.
- Specific technical protocols are required for different wastewater sources and desired products.
Conclusions:
- Wastewater-based microalgae cultivation offers a sustainable approach to resource recovery and circular economy principles.
- Further research and tailored protocols are essential for optimizing product yields and commercial viability.
- This review aims to guide future development towards large-scale, wastewater-fed microalgae biorefineries.
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