Closing Domestic Nutrient Cycles Using Microalgae

Environ Sci Technol. 2015 Oct 20;49(20):12450-6. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.5b02858. Epub 2015 Sep 29.

Abstract

This study demonstrates that microalgae can effectively recover all P and N from anaerobically treated black water (toilet wastewater). Thus, enabling the removal of nutrients from the black water and the generation of a valuable algae product in one step. Screening experiments with green microalgae and cyanobacteria showed that all tested green microalgae species successfully grew on anaerobically treated black water. In a subsequent controlled experiment in flat-panel photobioreactors, Chlorella sorokiniana was able to remove 100% of the phosphorus and nitrogen from the medium. Phosphorus was depleted within 4 days while nitrogen took 12 days to reach depletion. The phosphorus and nitrogen removal rates during the initial linear growth phase were 17 and 122 mg·L(-1)·d(-1), respectively. After this initial phase, the phosphorus was depleted. The nitrogen removal rate continued to decrease in the second phase, resulting in an overall removal rate of 80 mg·L(-1)·d(-1). The biomass concentration at the end of the experiment was 11.5 g·L(-1), with a P content of approximately 1% and a N content of 7.6%. This high algal biomass concentration, together with a relatively short P recovery time, is a promising finding for future post-treatment of black water while gaining valuable algal biomass for further application.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anaerobiosis
  • Biomass
  • Chlorella* / growth & development
  • Chlorella* / metabolism
  • Microalgae* / growth & development
  • Microalgae* / metabolism
  • Nitrogen / metabolism*
  • Phosphorus / metabolism*
  • Photobioreactors
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid / instrumentation
  • Waste Disposal, Fluid / methods*
  • Wastewater / chemistry

Substances

  • Waste Water
  • Phosphorus
  • Nitrogen