Phycoremediation of phenolic effluent of a coal gasification plant by Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Abstract

Abstract Batch experiments were carried out to investigate the degradation effect of Chlorella pyrenoidosa (KX686118) on the phenolic effluent of a coal gasification (CG) plant. The major pollutant present in the effluent is phenol (C 6 H 5 OH). The effect of C. pyrenoidosa on phenol degradation was analyzed by inoculating 1 g of wet biomass into four different phenolic effluent concentrations viz. 20, 40, 60 and 80% i.e. the total phenols concentration of 282 ± 1, 564 ± 1.5, 846 ± 2.2 and 1128 ± 2 mg L −1 respectively. The experiments were performed under ambient temperature of 30 ± 5 °C at pH 8.0. The results indicated that 1 g of wet biomass per Liter of effluent could degrade more than 90% of phenol and other contaminants, for effluent concentrations up to 60%. Bio kinetic coefficients viz., k -reaction rate constant and K m -half-saturation constant were determined using Michaelis–Menten rate expression and found as k = 50 mg of phenol g −1 (algae) day −1 , K m = 347 mg L −1 . The highest carbon fixation rate of 0.25 g L −1 day −1 was obtained with a 60% effluent concentration.