Large-Scale Cultivation of Spirulina for Biological CO2 Mitigation in Open Raceway Ponds Using Purified CO2 From a Coal Chemical Flue Gas

Abstract

In order to select excellent strains with high CO 2 fixation capability on a large scale, nine Spirulina species were cultivated in columnar photobioreactors with the addition of 10% CO 2. The two species selected (208 and 220) were optimized for pH value, total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and phosphorus content with intermittent CO 2 addition in 4 m 2 indoor raceway ponds. On the basis of biomass accumulation and CO 2 fixation rate in the present study, the optimum pH, DIC, and phosphate concentration were 9.5, 0.1 mol L −1 , and 200 mg L −1 for both strains, respectively. Lastly, the two strains selected were semi-continuously cultivated successfully for CO 2 mitigation in 605 m 2 raceway ponds aerated with food-grade CO 2 purified from a coal chemical flue gas on a large scale. The daily average biomass dry weight of the two stains reached up to 18.7 and 13.2 g m −2 d −1 , respectively, suggesting the two Spirulina strains can be utilized for mass production.

Development and evaluation of culture media based on extracts of the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis

“…Compared with other nutritional sources, cyanobacteria contain the highest levels of proteins, amino acids, minerals, pigments, vitamins, and polysaccharides ( Panjiar et al, 2017 ). It is worth mentioning that cyanobacteria can be produced in an ecological and sustainable manner and at low cost just using industrial waste products and atmospheric CO 2 ( Zhu et al, 2020 ; Lim et al, 2021 ). Nonetheless, little research has been conducted in the field of microbiology on the use of cyanobacteria as a nutritional source for the production of culture media.…”

Functional properties of bioactive compounds from Spirulina spp.: Current status and future trends

“…For large-scale production, the cultivation techniques of this microalgae depend on geographic location, temperature (30–35 °C), pH (9–11), light intensity (276–690 µmol m −2 s −1 ), cultivation time (30–40 days), strain type, inoculum quantity (10 % v/v), culture system (continuous, semi-continuous or batch), mixing and aeration (5–60 cm s −1 ), carbon source (dissolved NaHCO 3 , Na 2 CO 3 or CO 2 ) and carbon concentration (56.70–141.75 g h −1 ), nitrogen concentration, and producer knowledge ( Iamtham and Sornchai, 2022 , Thevarajah et al, 2022 , Zhu et al, 2020 ).…”

Biologically-Based and Physiochemical Life Support and In Situ Resource Utilization for Exploration of the Solar System—Reviewing the Current State and Defining Future Development Needs

“…Like other photosynthetic organisms, cyanobacteria and microalgae take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as the carbon source and use it to create energy-rich compounds. Carbon fixation is directly linked to biomass production, and about 1.8 kg of carbon dioxide is needed to create 1 kg of dry algal biomass [ 32 ]. Cui et al achieved a carbon dioxide fixation rate calculated to be about 355 g/kg biomass per day [ 33 ].…”