<i>Synechococcus</i> PCC 7002 to produce a carbohydrate-rich biomass treating urban wastewater

Silva, Carlos Eduardo de Farias; Bertucco, Alberto; Vieira, Rosana Correia; Abud, Ana Karla de Souza; Almeida, Flávia Bartira Pedro da Silva

doi:10.1080/17597269.2020.1802809

Cited by 11 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 26 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Notably, the use of industrial wastewater containing high C/N and C/P ratios resulted in high carbohydrate content without any additional carbon supply (Sánchez-Contreras et al 2021 ). However, because of the high organic and nutrient loads of industrial wastewater, it is generally necessary to dilute the influent or operate at high hydraulic retention times to unbalance the C nutrient ratios (de Farias Silva et al 2020 ; Solís-Salinas et al 2021 ). Recently, it was reported that the use of CO 2 or bicarbonate also helped unbalance the C nutrient ratio and increased the carbohydrate levels up to 70% dcw (Rueda et al 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultivation of carbohydrate-rich microalgae with great settling properties using cooling tower wastewater

Ortíz-Sánchez

Guillén-Garcés

Morales-Arrieta

et al. 2023

Environ Sci Pollut Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Wastewater treatment and simultaneous production of value-added products with microalgae represent a sustainable alternative. Industrial wastewater, characterized by high C/N molar ratios, can naturally improve the carbohydrate content in microalgae without the need for any external source of carbon while degrading the organic matter, macro-nutrients, and micro-nutrients. This study aimed to understand the treatment, reuse, and valorization mechanisms of real cooling tower wastewater (CWW) from a cement-processing industry mixed with domestic wastewater (DW) to produce microalgal biomass with potential for synthesis of biofuels or other value-added products. For this purpose, three photobioreactors with different hydraulic retention times (HRT) were inoculated simultaneously using the CWW-DW mixture. Macro- and micro-nutrient consumption and accumulation, organic matter removal, algae growth, and carbohydrate content were monitored for 55 days. High COD (> 80%) and macronutrient removals (> 80% of N and P) were achieved in all the photoreactors, with heavy metals below the limits established by local standards. The best results showed maximum algal growth of 1.02 g SSV L−1 and 54% carbohydrate accumulation with a C/N ratio of 31.24 mol mol−1. Additionally, the harvested biomass presented a high Ca and Si content, ranging from 11 to 26% and 2 to 4%, respectively. Remarkably, big flocs were produced during microalgae growth, which enhanced natural settling for easy biomass harvesting. Overall, this process represents a sustainable alternative for CWW treatment and valorization, as well as a green tool for generating carbohydrate-rich biomass with the potential to produce biofuels and fertilizers.

show abstract