African Journal of
Biotechnology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Biotechnol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1684-5315
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJB
  • Start Year: 2002
  • Published Articles: 12496

Full Length Research Paper

Cultivation of the microalga, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, in biogas wastewater

Zheng Jiang1*, Li Zhongbao1*, Lu Yinghua2, Tang Xuemin1, Lu Bin1, Li Yuanyue1, Lu Zhiqiang1, Lin Yaojiang3 and Zhou Jixin3    
1Key Laboratory of Science and Technology for Aquaculture and Food Safety in Fujian Province University, Fisheries College of Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China. 2Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China. 3Shuntian Environmental Technology Limited Company, Longyan 364000, China.
Email: [email protected], [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 01 June 2011
  •  Published: 10 October 2011

Abstract

Biogas wastewater is always a problem as a result of its extremely high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus, which is the main reason for the eutrophication of the surrounding water. The microalga, Chlorella pyrenoidosa, can utilize the nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater for its growth. Therefore, the microalga was introduced to be cultivated in the biogas wastewater, which could not only bioremediate the wastewater, but also produce plenty of the microalga biomass that could be used for the exploitation of fertilizers, feed additives and biofuels. This study showed that the microalga, C. pyrenoidosa could grow well in the biogas wastewater under optimal condition: initial cell density of 0.15 (OD680), pH 8 and illumination intensity of 10000 LX. Under the optimal condition, the dry cell weight of the microalgae reached 0.1 g/L after cultivation in the wastewater for fourteen (14) days; in the meantime, the microalga also removed 71.8% of phosphorus, 100% of ammoniacal nitrogen (NH4+-N), 52.8% of nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) and 23.0% of nitrite nitrogen (NO2-N) from the biogas wastewater, suggesting that the cultivation of C. pyrenoidosa in biogas wastewater would be efficient for the treatment of wastewater. This study also provided a low-cost way to produce the microalga and its relevant products.

 

Key words: Chlorella pyrenoidosa, biogas wastewater, cultivation, phosphorus, nitrogen.