Abstract
The current technologies of algal biofuels production and wastewater treatment (e.g., aerobic) process are still in question, due to the significant amount of fresh water and nutrients requirements for microalgae cultivation, and negative energy balance in both processes, especially when considered in the context of developing counties around the world. In this research, a simplistic sustainable approach of algal biofuels production from wastewater was proposed using a Hybrid Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (HABR) and Photobioreactor (PBR) system. The study suggests that the HABR was capable of removing most of the organic and solid (>90% COD and TSS removal) from wastewater, and produced a healthy feedstock (high N: P = 3:1) for microalgae cultivation in PBRs for biofuels production. A co-culture of Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorella sorokiniana, and Scenedesmus simris002 showed high lipid content up to 44.1%; and the dominant FAMEs composition (C16-C18) of 87.9% in produced biofuels. Perhaps, this proposed low-cost technological approach (e.g., HABR-PBR system) would connect the currently broken link of sustainable bioenergy generation and wastewater treatment pathway for developing countries.
Highlights
The world is facing a global sanitation crisis concerning wastewater management, about 70% of wastewater is treated in high-income countries, 38% in upper-middle-income, 28% in lower-middle-income, and only 8% in low-income countries [1]
It appeared that the insulation provided a better temperature control in Hybrid Anaerobic Baffled Reactor (HABR) (I) during operation, whereas there was a significant temperature variation observed within the chambers of HABR (U)
The results suggested that at 30 h hydraulic retention times (HRT), based on oxygen redox potential (ORP) (+49 to +96 mV in HABR (U), and +49 to +114 mV in HABR (I)), NH4+-N was primly removed by nitrification because of oxic/anoxic condition existed in both HABRs; at low 20 h HRT, NH4+-N was removed by both nitrification and perhaps anammox processes (-315 to +234 mV ORP in HABR (U), and -137 to +117 mV ORP in HABR (I))
Summary
The world is facing a global sanitation crisis concerning wastewater management, about 70% of wastewater is treated in high-income countries, 38% in upper-middle-income, 28% in lower-middle-income, and only 8% in low-income countries [1]. Most of these developing (low-income and lower-middle-income) counties are located either in a tropical or subtropical region with a warm climate (15–35 ̊C), which is favorable for biological wastewater treatment. Most of these countries have electricity scarcity, which makes it challenging to promote aerobic wastewater treatment options [2].
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