Abstract
Municipal and agricultural waste treatment is one of the key elements of reducing environmental impact with direct effects on the economy and society. Algal technology has been tested to enable effective recycling and valorisation of wastewater nutrients including carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. An integrated evaluation and optimisation of the sustainability of an algal bio-refinery, including mass and energy balances, carbon, water and nutrient use and impact analysis, was assessed. A bio-refinery approach of waste remediation using algal cultivation was developed at Swansea University, focusing on nutrient recovery via algal biomass exploitation in pilot facilities. Mass cultivation (up to 1.5 m3) was developed with 99% of nitrogen and phosphorus uptake by microalgal cultures. Nannochloropsis oceanica was used as a biological model and grown on three waste sources. The compounds obtained from the biomass were evaluated for animal feed and as a potential source of energy. The bioremediation through algal biotechnology was examined and compared to alternative nutrient recovery passive and active methods in order to know the most efficient way of excess nutrient management. Conclusions emphasise the high potential of algal biotechnology for waste remediation and nutrients recovery, despite the need for further development and scalable applications of this new technology.
Highlights
The Water Framework Directive (WFD) was implemented in 2000 in Europe and aims to bring all inland water bodies to a standard denoted as having a ‘good ecological status’ [1]
N. oceanica grown on aquaculture waste had a growth rate of 0.6 day−1 (95% C.I)
Fish oil supplement production is limited, and fatty acid production from marine algae is considered as an alternative source of this valuable compound
Summary
The Water Framework Directive (WFD) was implemented in 2000 in Europe and aims to bring all inland water bodies to a standard denoted as having a ‘good ecological status’ [1]. The phosphorous, nitrate and ammonium content of water bodies are the focus for water treatment regulations. EU regulation states that the maximum discharge limit of phosphorous is 2 mg L−1 for a population density less than 100,000 inhabitants and 1 mg L−1 for populations above 100,000 inhabitants. The influent phosphorous concentration levels that enter a waste water treatment plant (WWTP) must be reduced by a minimum of 80% [2]. In the Latin American countries; Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador, the water discharge limits are 40–80 mg L−1 for NH3 -NH4 and 10–15 mg L−1 for TP [3,4,5,6]
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