Optimizing phosphorus removal for municipal wastewater post-treatment with Chlorella vulgaris.

The microalgal species Chlorella vulgaris was cultivated in batch conditions to identify the optimum set of initial conditions for the best biomass growth rate, phosphate removal, polyphosphate accumulation, and protein productivity. To study the effect of phosphorus deficiency caused stress, the microalgal biomass was exposed to phosphorus deficiency conditions for periods varying between 1 and 10 days and inoculated at different initial biomass and phosphate concentrations. A 10-day period of phosphate deficiency, supported by low initial biomass concentration (∼0.

Increasing Phosphorus Uptake Efficiency by Phosphorus-Starved Microalgae for Municipal Wastewater Post-Treatment.

Four microalgal species, , , , and were studied for enhanced phosphorus removal from municipal wastewater after their exposure to phosphorus starvation. Microalgae were exposed to phosphorus starvation conditions for three and five days and then used in a batch experiment to purify an effluent from a small WWTP. After 3-day P-starvation, biomass growth rate increased by 50% and its PO removal rate reached > 99% within 7 days.