Effects of Nutrient Content and Nitrogen to Phosphorous Ratio on the Growth, Nutrient Removal and Desalination Properties of the Green Alga Coelastrum morus on a Laboratory Scale

Aida Figler, Kamilla Márton, Viktória B-Béres and István Bácsi
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Aida Figler: Department of Hydrobiology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem Sqr. 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Kamilla Márton: Department of Hydrobiology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem Sqr. 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Viktória B-Béres: Department of Tisza Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Bem Sqr. 1, H-4026 Debrecen, Hungary
István Bácsi: Department of Hydrobiology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem Sqr. 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-16

Abstract: In wastewater, nutrient concentrations and salinity vary substantially, however, the optimal N:P ratio for the treatment using microalgae is not well described. In this study, the effects of higher and lower nitrate and phosphate contents and N:P ratios on growth, nutrient removal ability and halotolerance of the common green alga Coelastrum morus were investigated in model solutions. The results suggest that high nitrate content (above 100 mg L −1 ) with a similarly high phosphate concentration (resulting low N:P ratio) is not favorable for growth. The studied isolate can be considered as a halotolerant species, showing remarkable growth up to 1000 mg L −1 NaCl and it seems that despite the negative effects on growth, higher nutrient content contributes to higher halotolerance. A significant amount of nitrate removal was observed in media with different nutrient contents and N:P ratios with different salt concentrations. High N:P ratios favor phosphate removal, which is more inhibited by increasing NaCl concentration than nitrate uptake. Overall, with a relatively higher nutrient content and a favorable (5 or higher) N:P ratio, a common green algal species such as C. morus could be a promising candidate next to species from the Chlorellaceae and Scenedesmaceae families.

Keywords: green alga; nutrient content; N:P ratio; salt tolerance; nutrient removal; salt content reduction (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: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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