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Updated: Jan 11, 2026

Microalgae Cultivation and Biomass Quantification in a Bench-Scale Photobioreactor with Corrosive Flue Gases
Published on: December 19, 2019
Roles of vertical light-conducting carriers applied in microalgal-bacterial biofilm for enhanced nitrogen and
Yong-Sen Cao1, Yong-Qi Cheng1, Yi Liu1
1Key Laboratory of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China.
Abstract:
The microalgal-bacterial biofilm (MABB) system holds promise for wastewater treatment, yet uneven light distribution limits its efficiency. This study introduced vertical light-guiding plates (LGP) as bio-carriers to expand the light reception range of microalgae. Compared with the control group (Rc), the removal rates of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in the experimental group (Re) increased by 9.9%, 20.9%, and 11.1% respectively. The content of chlorophyll a (Chl-a), volatile suspended solids (VSS), Chl-a/VSS ratio, and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in Re were 4.2 times, 3 times, 1.9 times, and 2.6 times higher than those of Rc, respectively. The abundance of Flavobacterium with nitrogen and phosphorus removal functions and Chlorella with strong light adaptability in Re reached 2.1% and 39.2% respectively, which was higher than that in Rc. In summary, LGP provides an effective path for expanding the application of MABB and achieving low-carbon sewage treatment.
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