Photobioreactor design and parameters essential for algal cultivation using industrial wastewater: A review

P. Sathinathan, H.M. Parab, R. Yusoff, S. Ibrahim, V. Vello and G.C. Ngoh

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2023, vol. 173, issue C

Abstract: Industrial wastewater containing heavy-metals, along with high quantities of nutrients and soluble salts, promote eutrophication in aquatic bodies. On the contrary, microalgae biomass may be leveraged to produce proteins, carbohydrates, pigments, lipids, hydrocarbons, fertilisers, soil conditioners, fish or animal feed, and a range of other goods. However, due to the high production cost and sensitivity of mass cultivation parameters - nutrients, agitation, pH, light, temperature, degassing, and controls, the current global output of microalgae biomass is approximately 9000 tonnes per year. Thus, combining microalgae cultivation with wastewater treatment is one of the feasible solutions for reducing the operating costs of the wastewater treatment plant, and subsequently reducing the cost of microalgae cultivation. Besides, photobioreactor can play a huge role in controlling the essential parameters for the cultivation of microalgae compared to cultivation in open ponds. This review aims to maximize the microalgae growth using industrial wastewater for cultivation in a photobioreactor while considering the essential parameters. Various microalgae species are feasible for cultivation in various industrial wastewater such as paper and pulp, textile, dairy, heavy metal, food processing and agricultural industries wastewater. The designs, construction materials and comparison of photobioreactors are reviewed under the photobioreactor section while the essential parameters in the photobioreactor are reviewed under the operating conditions section. However, based on the review, there are limited studies that incorporate the cultivation of microalgae using industrial wastewater with a photobioreactor. Optimizations of parameters using industrial wastewater in a photobioreactor to maximize the microalgae growth are crucial to be studied.

Keywords: Industrial wastewater; Biological treatment; Microalgae; Photobioreactor; Operating conditions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032122009777
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:rensus:v:173:y:2023:i:c:s1364032122009777

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/bibliographic
http://www.elsevier. ... 600126/bibliographic

DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2022.113096

Access Statistics for this article

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews is currently edited by L. Kazmerski

More articles in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().