Co-cultivation of microalgae and nitrifiers for higher biomass production and better carbon capture

Abstract

The aim of this work was to study co-cultivation of nitrifiers with microalgae as a non-intrusive technique for selective removal of oxygen generated by microalgae. Biomass concentration was, at least, 23% higher in mixed-cultures where nitrifiers kept the dissolved oxygen concentration below 9.0μLL(-1) than in control Chlorella vulgaris axenic-cultures where the concentration of dissolved oxygen was higher than 10.0μLL(-1). This approach to eliminating oxygen inhibition of microalgal growth could become the basis for the development of advanced microalgae reactors for removal of CO2 from the atmosphere, and concentrated CO2 streams. CO2 sequestration would become a chemically and geologically safer and environmentally more sound technology provided it uses microalgal, or other biomass, instead of CO2, for carbon storage.

Keywords: Carbon dioxide sequestering; Microalgae; Mixed-culture; Nitrifiers; Oxygen inhibition.