Abstract
The reuse of wastewater has been observed as a viable option to cope with increasing water stress in Africa. The present case studies evaluated the optimization of the process of phycoremediation as an alternative low-cost green treatment technology in two municipality wastewater treatment pond systems that make up the largest number of domestic sewage treatment systems on the African continent. A consortium of specific microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris and Chlorella protothecoides) was used to improve the treatment capacity of domestic wastewater at two operational municipality wastewater pond systems under different environmental conditions in South Africa. Pre- and post-phycoremediation optimization through mass inoculation of a consortium of microalgae, over a period of one year under different environmental conditions, were compared. It was evident that the higher reduction of total phosphates (74.4%) in the effluent, after treatment with a consortium of microalgae at the Motetema pond system, was possibly related to (1) the dominance of the algal taxa C. protothecoides (52%), and to a lesser extent C. vulgaris (36%), (2) more cloudless days, (3) higher air temperature, and (4) a higher domestic wastewater strength. In the case of the Brandwag pond treatment system, the higher reduction of total nitrogen can possibly be related to the dominance of C. vulgaris, different weather conditions, and lower domestic wastewater strength. The nutrient reduction data from the current study clearly presented compelling evidence in terms of the feasibility for use of this technology in developing countries to reduce nutrient loads from domestic wastewater effluent.
Highlights
Attention towards addressing sanitation and wastewater issues in Africa has grown in recent years [1]
To the authors’ knowledge, the current study is the first report on a comparative study using two existing municipality pond treatment systems to treat domestic wastewater by improving the process of phycoremediation using a specific consortium of algae and mass inoculation over a period of one year
It was evident that more cloudless days, higher air temperature, and domestic wastewater strength may have played a role in the treatment capacity and dominance of certain algal species of the pond treatment systems of the two case studies, after mass inoculation with a specific consortium of microalgae
Summary
Attention towards addressing sanitation and wastewater issues in Africa has grown in recent years [1]. While the aim of improving access to sanitation is included both in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (2000–2015) and the Sustainable Development. Goals (SDGs) (2015–2030), it is gaining prominence in the SDGs. overall service coverage increased, the target was missed by a margin of almost 700 million people, many living in sub-Saharan Africa. The new SDGs were endorsed by the UN General Assembly in September 2015, which included a commitment to provide universal access to sanitation and drinking water services by 2030 [2]. Population and urban growth are interlinked and the foremost challenge facing Africa’s sanitation provision. Africa’s urban population will double by 2030, and the difficulties African cities currently face in providing sanitation
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