Wastewater treatment to enhance the economic viability of microalgae culture

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2013

Authors

J. C. M. Pires (Author) FEUP; M. C. M. Alvim Ferraz (Author) FEUP; F. G. Martins (Author) FEUP; M. Simões (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Environmental Science and Pollution Research

Vol. 20 No. 8

Pages: 5096-5105

ISSN: 0944-1344

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 69 Citations

ISI Web of Science

Scopus - 92 Citations

Scientific classification

CORDIS: Technological sciences > Engineering > Process engineering > Bioprocess engineering ; Technological sciences > Engineering > Project engineering

FOS: Natural sciences > Earth and related Environmental sciences

Associated Projects

UI0511 - PROJECTO ESTRATÉGICO - UI 511 - 2013-2014

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-006-8RY

DOI: 10.1007/s11356-013-1791-x

Abstract (EN): Microalgae culture is still not economically viable and it presents some negative environmental impacts, concerning water, nutrient and energy requirements. In this context, this study aims to review the recent advances on microalgal cultures in wastewaters to enhance their economic viability. We focused on three different culture concepts: (1) suspended cell systems, (2) cell immobilization, and (3) microalgae consortia. Cultures with suspended cells are the most studied. The nutrient removal efficiencies are usually high for wastewaters of different sources. However, biomass harvesting is difficult and a costly process due to the small cell size and lower culture density. On the other hand, the cell immobilization systems showed to be the solution for this problem, having as main limitation the nutrient diffusion from bulk to cells, which results in a reduced nutrient removal efficiency. The consortium between microalgae and bacteria enhances the growth of both microorganisms. This culture concept showed to be a promising technology to improve wastewater treatment, regarding not only nutrient removal but also biomass harvesting by bioflocculation. The aggregation mechanism must be studied in depth to find the process parameters that would lead to an effective and cheap harvesting process.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10