Optimizing light conditions in any culture design for effluent treatment is crucial for maximizing microalgae growth and nutrient uptake. We investigated the impact of low (53 ± 1 μmol m s), medium (208 ± 12 μmol m s), and high (518 ± 22 μmol m s) light intensities on the diffused biofilm-based growth of Chlorella sp. for treating anaerobically digested food effluent (ADFE).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBotryococcus braunii has garnered significant attention in recent years due to its ability to produce high amounts of renewable hydrocarbons through photosynthesis. As the world shifts towards a greener future and seeks alternative sources of energy, the cultivation of B. braunii and the extraction of its hydrocarbons can potentially provide a viable solution.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroalgal-based treatment of anaerobic digestate food effluent (ADFE) has been found to be efficient and effective. However, turbidity and high total ammonia nitrogen (TAN)) content of ADFE is a major setback, requiring significant dilution. Although the possibility of growing microalgae in a high-strength ADFE with minimal dilution has been demonstrated in suspension cultures, such effluents remain highly turbid and affect the light path in suspension cultures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnaerobic digestion of organic waste produces effluent (ADE) that requires further treatment. Biofilm-based microalgal cultivation is a favoured approach to ADE treatment. This study compared Chlorella sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMembrane fouling is a major challenge which limits the sustainable application of membrane filtration-based microalgal harvesting at industrial level. Membrane fouling leads to increased operational and maintenance costs and represents a major obstacle to microalgal downstream processing. Nano-clays are promising naturally occurring nanoparticles in membrane fabrication due to their low-cost, facile preparation, and their superior properties in terms of surface hydrophilicity, mechanical stability, and resistance against chemicals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroalgal technology is still economically unattractive due to the high cost associated with microalgal cultivation and biomass recovery from conventional suspension cultures. Biofilm-based cultivation is a promising alternative for higher biomass yield and cheap/easy biomass harvesting opportunities. Additionally, using anaerobic digestate food effluent (ADFE) as a nutrient source reduces the cultivation cost and achieves ADFE treatment as an added value.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiodiesel is a promising alternative to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels. However, biodiesel's cost is still higher than its petroleum counterpart, hence its production process must be modified to make it economically viable. Microalgae are an alternative feedstock to replace agricultural crops for biodiesel production, and offer several advantages such as fast growth, use of non-arable land, growth in saline and wastewater, and high lipid yield.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAchieving high biomass productivity is critical for establishing a successful large-scale algal facility. Microalgae cultures in raceway ponds are normally light limited. To achieve high biomass productivity, there is a need to develop a system to deliver light into the depth of microalgal cultures in raceway ponds.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlgal phytoremediation represents a practical green solution for treating anaerobically digested piggery effluent (ADPE). The potential and viability of combining microalgae and macroalgae cultivation for the efficient treatment of ADPE were evaluated in this study. Bioprospecting the ability of different locally isolated macroalgae species illustrated the potential of Cladophora sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnvironmental consequences of high productivity piggeries are significant and can result in negative environmental impacts, hence bioremediation techniques (in particular using macroalgae) are therefore of great interest. Here, the growth potential of several freshwater macroalgae in anaerobic digestion piggery effluent (ADPE), their nutrient removal rates and biochemical composition of the biomass were investigated under outdoor climatic conditions. A consortium of two macroalgae, Rhizoclonium sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Earth receives around 1000 W.m(-2) of power from the Sun and only a fraction of this light energy is able to be converted to biomass (chemical energy) via the process of photosynthesis. Out of all photosynthetic organisms, microalgae, due to their fast growth rates and their ability to grow on non-arable land using saline water, have been identified as potential source of raw material for chemical energy production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study examined the effects of oxygen concentration, pond temperature and irradiance on productivity and CaCO(3) formation of the coccolith-forming alga, Pleurochrysis carterae CCMP647 grown in semi-continuous culture in outdoor raceway ponds. During the day the oxygen content of the pond increases markedly and P. carterae photosynthesis is inhibited by these high O(2) concentrations with the inhibition increasing with increasing temperature.
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