Effectiveness of Scenedesmus sp. Biomass Grow and Nutrients Removal from Liquid Phase of Digestates

Marta Kisielewska, Marcin Zieliński, Marcin Dębowski, Joanna Kazimierowicz, Zdzisława Romanowska-Duda and Magda Dudek
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Marta Kisielewska: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Marcin Zieliński: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Marcin Dębowski: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Joanna Kazimierowicz: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Bialystok University of Technology, Wiejska St. 45E, 15-351 Bialystok, Poland
Zdzisława Romanowska-Duda: Department of Plant Ecophysiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Banacha St. 12/13, 90-237 Lodz, Poland
Magda Dudek: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 6, 1-11

Abstract: One of the most important factors in determining the profitable production of microalgae biomass is the use of a cost effective growth medium that is rich in nutrients. The objective of the study was to determine the possibility of using digestates from anaerobic digestion of different feedstock mixtures as the media for Scenedesmus sp. cultivation. A different liquid digestate composition was obtained in terms of organic compounds, phosphorus, and nitrogen concentrations, depending on the substrates used in the anaerobic digestion. It was found that the highest biomass production was obtained when using digestate from anaerobic digestion of the feedstock mainly composed of microalgae biomass, which was characterized by low organic compounds concentration. In this case, the average biomass concentration reached 2382 mg total solids/L. A lower Scenedesmus sp. biomass yield was obtained using digestate from anaerobic digester processing feedstock based on maize silage and cattle menure. In the variants of the study, it was also found that the increase in the initial concentration of ammonia nitrogen in the growth medium up to 160 mg/L significantly reduced the growth of Scenedesmus sp. The results indicated the possibility of a high ammonia nitrogen and orthophosphates removal from anaerobic digestates by Scenedesmus sp. microalgae. Phosphorus concentration in the cultivation medium is a limiting factor for the growth of Scenedesmus sp. , thus phosphorus supplementation should be considered when using liquid digestate as the culture medium. The optimization model indicated that the volume of liquid digestate that was used for preparing the cultivation medium, the initial concentration of organic compounds, and the initial concentration of ammonia nitrogen had a significant impact on the production of Scenedesmus sp. biomass.

Keywords: microalgae; liquid digestate; anaerobic digestion; photobioreactor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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