Abstract
Growth comparisons were made between a microalgal consortium and Scenedesmus sp. cultivated in treated wastewater (TWw) enriched with 1 mL·L–1 Bayfolan Forte fertilizer (BM), TWw enriched with (NH4)2HPO4 (PAM), TWw enriched with NH4HCO3 (BCAM), tap water with piggery wastewater (PEM), tap water with piggery wastewater digestate (PDM), and raw wastewater (Ww). Nitrogen (N) content in the media, except for TWw, was adjusted to 80 mg·L–1 N (NH4+-N and NO3–-N). Unconventional low-cost media with lower nutrient contents (BM and TWw) showed adequate productions of biomass and lipids. PEM was the most advantageous medium, showing the highest biomass productivity with the consortium (191.25 ± 6.25 g·L–1·d–1) and a lipid productivity of 36.75 ± 9.90 mg·L–1·d–1. The fatty acid profile was composed mainly of C16 and C18. PAM, PEM, and PDM showed a higher proportion of saturated fatty acids (60%–69%), whereas the composition of unsaturated fatty acids was in the range of 31% to 38%. In PEM and PDM the removal of NH4+ was 100%; however, there were NH4+ losses (as NH3) due to volatilization (46%). Unconventional media, especially Ww, are an option for growing microalgae.
Highlights
The production of biofuels from microalgae is promising because microalgae do not compete for food crops or arable land, present high growth rates, and are capable of fixing CO2 through photosynthesis and releasing O2 into the atmosphere
Biomass production in Ww was 15.33% lower with the microalgal consortium compared with that obtained with Scenedesmus sp., whereas in PEM, biomass production with Scenedesmus sp. was 40% lower than that obtained with the microalgal consortium
Unlike in the other 5 media, in Bayfolan medium (BM), which was formulated with the commercial fertilizer Bayfolan, the main source of N was NO3–; P contents varied significantly between media (Table 4)
Summary
The production of biofuels from microalgae is promising because microalgae do not compete for food crops or arable land, present high growth rates, and are capable of fixing CO2 through photosynthesis and releasing O2 into the atmosphere. Nitrogen (N) is a key nutrient for the growth and biochemical composition of microalgae, and the accumulation of lipids and carbohydrates increases under N limitation (Liu et al 2017, Huy et al 2018). El nitrógeno (N) es un nutriente clave para el crecimiento y la composición bioquímica de las microalgas, y la acumulación de lípidos y carbohidratos aumenta en condiciones de limitación de N (Liu et al 2017, Huy et al 2018)
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