Production of Chlorella vulgaris using urban wastewater: Assessment of the nutrient recovery capacity of the biomass and its plant biostimulant effects

Amaya-Santos, Gema; Ruiz-Nieto, Ángela; Sánchez-Zurano, Ana; Ciardi, Martina; Gómez-Serrano, Cintia; Acién, Gabriel; Lafarga, Tomás

doi:10.1007/s10811-022-02843-7

Cited by 21 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…At the highest concentration studied, the microalgal biomass produced using wastewater showed a higher biostimulant effect ( p < 0.05). The results were comparable to those obtained for Chlorella vulgaris produced using freshwater and wastewater ( Amaya-Santos et al, 2022 ). Roots not only provide the anchor required to keep plants in place, but also act as the lifeline of plants taking up air, water, and nutrients.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 84%

“…The cell wall of microalgae is diverse; while some species lack a rigid cell wall, others have resistant cell walls containing silica frustules (e.g., diatoms), cellulosic compounds (e.g., Chlorella ), complex polysaccharides (e.g., Tetraselmis ), or complex proteinaceous coverings (e.g., Euglena ) ( Alhattab et al, 2019 ). To recover the bioactive or functional compounds produced by microalgae or to maximise their availability by plants or animals, the disruption of the cell wall is not optional ( Teuling et al, 2019 ; Amaya-Santos et al, 2022 ). In this work, the cell wall disruption was done by sonication at a concentration of 2 g L −1 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The interest in plant biostimulants is growing and so is the popularity of algae-derived biostimulant extracts. Several research studies have demonstrated that algae have biostimulant effects that include improved germination, root development, fruit yields and fruit quality, amongst other benefits ( Puglisi et al, 2020 ; Amaya-Santos et al, 2022 ; Gitau et al, 2022 ; Alling et al, 2023 ; Villaró et al, 2023 ). Most of these works were done at the laboratory scale or using specific microalgal strains.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Integrating microalgae-based wastewater treatment, biostimulant production, and hydroponic cultivation: a sustainable approach to water management and crop production

Morillas-España,

Pérez-Crespo,

Villaró-Cos

et al. 2024

Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.

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A natural appearing microalgae-bacteria consortium was used to process urban wastewater. The process was done in an 80 m2 raceway reactor and the results were compared to an identical reactor operated using freshwater supplemented with commercial fertilisers. The biomass harvesting was done using commercial ultrafiltration membranes to reduce the volume of culture centrifuged. The membrane allowed achieving a biomass concentration of ∼9–10 g L−1. The process proposed avoids the use of centrifuges and the drying of the biomass, two of the most energy consuming steps of conventional processes. The specific growth rate in freshwater and the wastewater-based media was estimated as 0.30 ± 0.05 and 0.24 ± 0.02 days−1, respectively (p < 0.05). The maximum concentration reached at the end of the batch phase was 0.96 ± 0.03 and 0.83 ± 0.07 g L−1 when the biomass was produced using freshwater and wastewater, respectively (p < 0.05). The total nitrogen removal capacity of the system was on average 1.35 g m−2·day−1; nitrogen assimilation into biomass represented 60%–95% of this value. Furthermore, the P-PO43− removal capacity of the system varied from 0.15 to 0.68 g m−2·day−1. The outlet effluent of the reactor was used as a nutrient source in the hydroponic production of zucchini seedlings, leading to an increase in the root dry weight and the stem diameter compared to the water alone. The produced biomass showed potential for use as feedstock to produce plant biostimulants with positive effects on root development and chlorophyll retention.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Integrating microalgae-based wastewater treatment, biostimulant production, and hydroponic cultivation: a sustainable approach to water management and crop production

Morillas-España,

Pérez-Crespo,

Villaró-Cos

et al. 2024

Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.

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“…In that study, the photobioreactor used was an Erlenmeyer flask shaken manually with no aeration, which is very different to a bubble column with high aeration, and therefore, the results cannot be compared. However, the results also compare well with other studies where the same photobioreactor design was used; for example, the maximum biomass concentration reached in previous reports were 2.0 g·L −1 with the microalga C. vulgaris UAL‐1 (Amaya‐Santos et al ., 2022) and 2.5 g·L −1 with the microalga A. platensis BEA 005B (Gómez et al ., 2021). The same microalga was used in this work, although the medium was not supplemented with sodium bicarbonate.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Screening for alkaliphilic microalgae for carbon capture from ambient air and food production

Villaró‐Cos,

García‐González,

Lafarga

2024

Int J of Food Sci Tech

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SummaryThe production of alkaliphilic microalgae can contribute to address the challenging cost of using pure carbon dioxide in large reactors. At high pH values, carbon dioxide is rapidly scavenged and the supply rates of dissolved inorganic carbon from the atmosphere to alkaline media are high. The present study aimed to identify microalgal strains that can cope with high alkalinity and aeration rates. Eight strains were studied and the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus almeriensis and Nannochloropsis gaditana were the only ones that were able to grow under these conditions. Their biomass productivities using laboratory‐scale bubble columns with no pH control and high aeration flow were 0.20 ± 0.03, 0.24 ± 0.03 and 0.08 ± 0.01 g·L−1·day−1, respectively. The production of the two former was scaled up to pilot‐scale bubble columns. Overall, the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide that was transformed into biomass was in the range of 10%–30%, depending on the strain used and the photobioreactor setup. The biomass was rich in proteins and β‐carotene, both valuable products, highlighting the potential production of food ingredients while capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

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“…can be produced and subsequently valorized. For instance, the cells of C. vulgaris removed up to 93.8, 73.1, 80.5, and 85.2% of the N-NH 4 + , N-NO 3 − , P-PO 4 3− , and COD present in untreated urban wastewaters, while the biomass productivity achieved was similar to that obtained by cultivating C. vulgaris in freshwater supplemented with synthetic chemicals (0.58 g·L −1 ·day −1 ) [ 213 ].…”

Section: Emerging and Innovative Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Emerging Applications of Chlorella sp. and Spirulina (Arthrospira) sp.

Abreu¹,

Martins²

2023

Bioengineering

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Chlorella sp. and Spirulina (Arthrospira) sp. account for over 90% of the global microalgal biomass production and represent one of the most promising aquiculture bioeconomy systems. These microorganisms have been widely recognized for their nutritional and therapeutic properties; therefore, a significant growth of their market is expected, especially in the nutraceutical, food, and beverage segments. However, recent advancements in biotechnology and environmental science have led to the emergence of new applications for these microorganisms. This paper aims to explore these innovative applications, while shedding light on their roles in sustainable development, health, and industry. From this state-of-the art review, it was possible to give an in-depth outlook on the environmental sustainability of Chlorella sp. and Spirulina (Arthrospira) sp. For instance, there have been a variety of studies reported on the use of these two microorganisms for wastewater treatment and biofuel production, contributing to climate change mitigation efforts. Moreover, in the health sector, the richness of these microalgae in photosynthetic pigments and bioactive compounds, along with their oxygen-releasing capacity, are being harnessed in the development of new drugs, wound-healing dressings, photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy, tissue engineering, and anticancer treatments. Furthermore, in the industrial sector, Chlorella sp. and Spirulina (Arthrospira) sp. are being used in the production of biopolymers, fuel cells, and photovoltaic technologies. These innovative applications might bring different outlets for microalgae valorization, enhancing their potential, since the microalgae sector presents issues such as the high production costs. Thus, further research is highly needed to fully explore their benefits and potential applications in various sectors.

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Production of Chlorella vulgaris using urban wastewater: Assessment of the nutrient recovery capacity of the biomass and its plant biostimulant effects

Cited by 21 publications

References 34 publications

Integrating microalgae-based wastewater treatment, biostimulant production, and hydroponic cultivation: a sustainable approach to water management and crop production

Integrating microalgae-based wastewater treatment, biostimulant production, and hydroponic cultivation: a sustainable approach to water management and crop production

Screening for alkaliphilic microalgae for carbon capture from ambient air and food production

Emerging Applications of Chlorella sp. and Spirulina (Arthrospira) sp.

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