Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026
07:34
Biogas Purification through the use of a Microalgae-Bacterial System in Semi-Industrial High Rate Algal Ponds
Published on: March 22, 2024
Activated Microalgae-Activated MLSS Bacteria Consortium Synergistically Improves Phycoremediation Kinetics: A
Geethanjali Udaya Kumar1, Lazar Mukilan Antony1, Judah Jacob1
1Department of Microbiology, Madras Christian College (Affiliated to the University of Madras), Chennai, India.
Summary
A novel bioactivation approach using Chlorella vulgaris and bacteria enhanced wastewater treatment. This integrated system achieved high nutrient removal and BOD reduction, showcasing sustainable biological treatment potential.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Microbiology
- Aquatic Ecology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Sustainable wastewater treatment requires efficient nutrient removal and resource recovery.
- Integrated biological systems combining microalgae and bacteria offer a promising solution.
- High-rate algal ponds (HRAPs) are effective for wastewater treatment but can be optimized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a novel parallel bioactivation approach for wastewater treatment.
- To investigate the synergistic effects of Chlorella vulgaris and a mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSSs) bacterial consortium.
- To assess the efficiency of nutrient remediation and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) reduction in an outdoor HRAP.
Main Methods:
- Parallel bioactivation of Chlorella vulgaris in suboptimal nutrient conditions.
- Integration of separately activated bacterial MLSS with activated Chlorella vulgaris to form an AM-AB consortium.
- Application of the AM-AB consortium in an outdoor high-rate algal pond (HRAP) for wastewater treatment.
Main Results:
- Achieved 99.9% nitrogen removal efficiency within 6 hours and complete phosphate removal in 2 hours.
- Demonstrated a maximum specific removal rate for total nitrogen of 49.81 mg g⁻¹ h⁻¹.
- Attained 81.73% BOD reduction, indicating significant synergistic interaction between microalgae and bacteria.
Conclusions:
- The developed AM-AB consortium shows high efficiency in nutrient remediation and BOD reduction.
- The synergistic interaction between Chlorella vulgaris and bacteria enhances wastewater treatment performance.
- This approach holds significant potential for robust, sustainable, and integrated biological wastewater treatment systems.
Related Concept Videos
01:25Biofuels
The microbial conversion of organic matter into biofuels holds potential as a renewable energy source. Among biofuel sources, microalgae are recognized as a highly efficient and adaptable feedstock for biodiesel production, owing to their rapid biomass accumulation, elevated lipid productivity, and capacity to proliferate in diverse aquatic systems, including freshwater, marine, and wastewater habitats. Unlike terrestrial crops, microalgae do not compete for land and can achieve significantly...
01:26Microbial Bioremediation of Hydrocarbons
Bioremediation is an environmentally sustainable process that employs living organisms—primarily microorganisms—to degrade or neutralize pollutants from contaminated environments. In oil spills and hydrocarbon pollution, bioremediation involves the use of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria to transform toxic compounds into less harmful substances. This approach leverages natural microbial metabolic processes and is considered both cost-effective and ecologically favorable compared to physical or...
01:30Microbial Wastewater Treatment
Microbial communities in aquatic ecosystems play a key role in the natural breakdown of contaminants introduced through domestic and industrial effluents. Acting as biological catalysts, these microbes change and mineralize a wide range of organic and inorganic pollutants under different redox conditions.In oxygen-rich surface waters, aerobic heterotrophs lead organic matter breakdown, using oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor to efficiently oxidize substrates to carbon dioxide and water.
00:46Bioremediation
Bioremediation is the use of prokaryotes, fungi, or plants to remove pollutants from the environment. This process has been used to remove harmful toxins in groundwater as a byproduct of agricultural run-off and also to clean up oil spills.
01:23Microbial Fuel Cells
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are bioelectrochemical devices that generate electricity by exploiting the metabolic processes of electrogenic bacteria. These systems provide a renewable energy source and serve as an innovative method for treating organic waste, such as wastewater.A typical MFC consists of two chambers: an anoxic (oxygen-free) compartment that houses the bacteria and an oxic (oxygen-rich) compartment that contains oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor. Many MFCs use proton...
01:21Green Algae
Green algae, also referred to as chlorophytes, are different from red algae in having the chloroplasts containing chlorophylls a and b, which give them their distinct green hue. However, they lack phycobiliproteins, preventing them from developing the red or blue-green pigmentation seen in red algae. In terms of photosynthetic pigment composition, green algae closely resemble plants and share a close evolutionary relationship with them. Taxonomically Green algae belong to Phylum Chlorophyta in...