Revolutionizing Agriculture: Leveraging Hydroponic Greenhouse Wastewater for Sustainable Microalgae-Based Biostimulant Production

María Álvarez-Gil (), Mario Blanco-Vieites, David Suárez-Montes, Víctor Casado-Bañares, Jesús Fidel Delgado-Ramallo and Eduardo Rodríguez ()
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María Álvarez-Gil: Neoalgae Micro Seaweed Products SL, Calle Carmen Leal Mata, 191, 33211 Gijon, Spain
Mario Blanco-Vieites: Neoalgae Micro Seaweed Products SL, Calle Carmen Leal Mata, 191, 33211 Gijon, Spain
David Suárez-Montes: Neoalgae Micro Seaweed Products SL, Calle Carmen Leal Mata, 191, 33211 Gijon, Spain
Víctor Casado-Bañares: Neoalgae Micro Seaweed Products SL, Calle Carmen Leal Mata, 191, 33211 Gijon, Spain
Jesús Fidel Delgado-Ramallo: Neoalgae Micro Seaweed Products SL, Calle Carmen Leal Mata, 191, 33211 Gijon, Spain
Eduardo Rodríguez: Department of Construction and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Oviedo, Pedro Puig Adam, s/n, 33203 Gijon, Spain

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 19, 1-19

Abstract: The current intensification in agricultural pressure has resulted in the addition of excessive amounts of nutrients. While hydroponic systems have become an agricultural tool to reduce this nutrient addition, the produced nutrient-rich drainage solution, which has a negative effect in water bodies, is still a barrier that needs to be overcome. A promising alternative for nutrient recovery is the cultivation of microalgae, which require a significant quantity of nutrients for their growth. Furthermore, their biostimulant properties enhance the circularity and sustainability approach. This study evaluates microalgae growth with a hydroponic drainage solution and the use of the resulting biomass as a source for biostimulant. Three microalgae strains were tested ( Desmodesmus sp., Chlorella vulgaris , and Scenedesmus obliquus ) and grown at laboratory scale (0.5 and 2 L) with drainage wastewater taken from hydroponic tomato crops. Measures of OD 750 and OD 680 revealed Desmodesmus sp. as the strain with the best performance, achieving 1.4 and 1.8, respectively, in the 0.5 L assay and 1.08 and 1.3 in the 2 L assay. These results were confirmed in another assay that compared Desmodesmus sp. growth in drainage wastewater and in control media. Then, Desmodesmus sp. was tested at industrial scale. Results show the columnar PBR reached 1.8 g·L −1 compared to 1.1 g·L −1 achieved with raceways. Finally, the resulting biomass was tested in a biocatalysis process for biostimulant production, suggesting an innovative system to use microalgae biomass cultured in wastewater as a valuable product such as biostimulant.

Keywords: microalgae; wastewater; Desmodesmus; circular economy; biostimulant (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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