The Cultivation of Biohydrogen-Producing Tetraselmis subcordiformis Microalgae as the Third Stage of Dairy Wastewater Aerobic Treatment System

Magda Dudek, Marcin Dębowski (), Joanna Kazimierowicz, Marcin Zieliński, Piera Quattrocelli and Anna Nowicka
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Magda Dudek: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland
Marcin Dębowski: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland
Joanna Kazimierowicz: Department of Water Supply and Sewage Systems, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Bialystok University of Technology, 15-351 Bialystok, Poland
Marcin Zieliński: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland
Piera Quattrocelli: Crop Science Research Centre, Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Via Alamanni 22, San Giuliano Terme, 56127 Pisa, Italy
Anna Nowicka: Department of Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-720 Olsztyn, Poland

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-17

Abstract: The development of wastewater treatment systems, including competitive methods for nitrogen and phosphorus removal, is focused on intensifying final technological effects with due care taken for economic and environmental concerns. Given the possibility of integrating wastewater treatment processes with biofuel production, the prospective seems to be technologies harnessing microalgal biomass. The present study aimed to verify the feasibility of applying T. subcordiformis genus microalgae as the third stage of the dairy wastewater treatment process and to determine microalgae biomass production effectiveness and hydrogen yield in the biophotolysis process. The study proved that microalgae cultivation with dairy wastewater was nearly 35% less effective compared to that with a chemically pure medium. Nitrogen and phosphorus compounds contaminating wastewater were found to represent an available source of nutrients for T. subcordiformis population. The volume of hydrogen produced ranged from 116 ± 7 cm 3 to 162 ± 7 cm 3 , and the percentage of H 2 content in the biogas ranged from 55.4 ± 2.2% to 57.2 ± 4.1%. A significantly higher hydrogen yield per initial biomass concentration, reaching 69 ± 4.2 cm 3 /g o.d.m. , was determined in the variant with wastewater accounting for 50% of the culture medium. The respective value noted in the control respirometer was 54 ± 2.1 cm 3 /g o.d.m.

Keywords: dairy wastewater; treatment technology; T. subcordiformis; microalgae biomass; nutrients; cultivation medium; biohydrogen; biofuels (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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