Effective nutrient removal and metabolite accumulation by C. vulgaris cultivated using digested food waste and brine

Adewale Giwa, Bushra Chalermthai, Navid Moheimani, Hanifa Taher

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

Anaerobically digested food effluent (or liquefied food waste) was diluted with synthetic brine to prepare new media for cultivating Chlorella vulgaris. The media were prepared from different ratios of liquefied food waste and synthetic brine. These ratios were 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3 and the media were named as CM2, CM3, and CM4, respectively. Johnson's medium was employed as the control medium and it was named as CM1. C. vulgaris utilized more ammonium and phosphate from the new media than Johnson's medium, although Johnson's medium ensured higher carbon uptake. Compared to Johnson's medium, the specific nitrogen removal by C. vulgaris cultivated using CM2, CM3, and CM4 was 89%, 81%, and 28% higher, respectively. The specific phosphorus removal by C. vulgaris cultivated using CM2, CM3, and CM4 was higher than that of Johnson's medium by 137%, 75%, and 63%, respectively. Also, the increase in weight of C. vulgaris ensured by CM2, CM3, and CM4 was about 38%, 32%, and 30% respectively, higher than that of CM1. Consequently, the developed media ensured higher productivity and faster harvesting of C. vulgaris biomass than Johnson's medium. Settling times of 11 min, 6.85 min, 7.08 min, and 7.4 min were required by CM1, CM2, CM3, and CM4 cultures, respectively, to achieve a clear supernatant volume of 25 mL. The metabolites accumulated by C. vulgaris biomass, which was cultivated using the new media, include proteins and carotenoids. Overall, liquefied food waste improved nutrient removal efficiency, settling time and osmoregulation whereas synthetic brine aided carotenoid synthesis.

Original languageBritish English
Article number101935
JournalEnvironmental Technology and Innovation
Volume24
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2021

Keywords

  • Chlorella vulgaris
  • Cultivation media
  • Desalination brine
  • Liquefied food waste
  • Microalgae

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Effective nutrient removal and metabolite accumulation by C. vulgaris cultivated using digested food waste and brine'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this