Phototrophic Bioremediation of Municipal Tertiary Wastewater Coupling with Lipid Biosynthesis Using Scenedesmus dimorphus: Effect of Nitrogen to Phosphorous Ratio with/without CO 2 Supplementation

Mohammed Omar Faruque, Mohammad Mozahar Hossain, Wasif Farooq and Shaikh Abdur Razzak ()
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Mohammed Omar Faruque: Department of Chemical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Mohammad Mozahar Hossain: Department of Chemical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Wasif Farooq: Department of Chemical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Shaikh Abdur Razzak: Department of Chemical Engineering, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 2, 1-21

Abstract: Scenedesmus dimorphus was utilized for the tertiary treatment of municipal wastewater in an effort to remove nutrients from secondary treated wastewater. In addition to the concurrent generation of biomass containing lipids for biofuel production. The effect of nitrogen to phosphorous (N:P) ratios (1:1 to 8:1) in culture media without carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) supplementation (air supply alone, Case 1) and with CO 2 supplementation (2% CO 2 in air, Case 2) was investigated through a series of systematic parametric batch experiments. Case 2 produces greater biomass at all N:P ratios than Case 1. In Case 1, the highest biomass output for a N:P ratio of 8:1 is 567 mg/L at pH 8.4. In Case 2, however, the maximum biomass yield is 733 mg/L when the N:P ratio is 2:1 and the pH is 7.23. Scenedesmus dimorphus is capable of absorbing nitrogen and phosphorous from wastewater in a CO 2 environment and at the optimal N:P ratio. In Case 1, total nitrogen removal ranges from 28% to 100% and in Case 2, total nitrogen removal ranges from 60% to 100%, depending on the N:P ratio. For an initial concentration of 13 mg/L, the total phosphorous removal ranges from 37% to 57%, depending on the N:P ratio in both cases. Case 2 yields a maximum lipid content of 29% of the biomass dry weight when the N:P ratio is 1:1. These results suggest the viability of removing nutrients from secondary treated wastewater utilizing microalgae Scenedesmus dimorphus and lipid biosynthesis in the generated biomass.

Keywords: microalgae biomass; nutrient removal; wastewater; nitrogen to phosphorous ratio; lipid accumulation (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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