, N.; Romero Gil, I.; Seco, A.; Ferrer, J. (2012). Microalgae cultivation in wastewater: nutrient removal from anaerobic membrane bioreactor effluent. Bioresource Technology. 126:247-253. doi:10.1016Technology. 126:247-253. doi:10. /j.biortech.2012
ABSTRACTThis study investigated the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from the effluent of a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor (SAnMBR) by means of a lab-scale photobioreactor in which algae biomass was cultured in a semi-continuous mode for a period of 42 days. Solids retention time was 2 days and a stable pH value in the system was maintained by adding CO 2 . Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the SAnMBR effluent fluctuated according to the operating performance of the bioreactor and the properties of its actual wastewater load. Despite these variations, the anaerobic effluent proved to be a suitable growth medium for microalgae (mean biomass productivity was 234 mg·l -1 ·d -1 ), achieving a nutrient removal efficiency of 67.2% for ammonium (NH 4 + -N) and 1 97.8% for phosphate (PO 4 -3 -P). When conditions were optimum, excellent water quality with very low ammonium and phosphate concentrations was obtained.
KeywordsMicroalgae; nutrient removal; submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor; wastewater.
The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) has as its objective the establishment of a framework for the protection of continental, groundwater and surface, transitional, and coastal water. The phytoplankton is one of the biological quality elements established for determining the ecological status within the Directive. Phytoplankton biomass, composition and abundance, together with frequency of blooms, are the metrics to be assessed according to the WFD. To verify that this index responded well to the varying ranges in pressure, a statistically significant correlation was confirmed to exist between the index and the phosphorus values.
2The results obtained from this index were compared with those derived using chlorophyll a finding that the existing deviations presently arising from the use of chlorophyll a as an ecological status indicator can be corrected with the proposed multimetric index.
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