OUTDOOR CULTIVATION OF Scenedesmus obliquus BR003 IN STIRRED TANKS BY AIRLIFT

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The use of microalgae as a source of raw material for biofuel production has been highly targeted. Compared to other biological options for the capture and use of CO2, microalgae crops have the following advantages: high productivity, lack of competition with feed and foodbased products, use of unproductive and non-arable land, and allowance of the use of wastewater for its cultivation. The use of wastewater from industrial, agricultural, and domestic sewage has been indicated as an alternative means to reduce the cost of crops, since such waste is generally released into the environment without previous treatment. This work addresses the use of petrochemical wastewater (ARP) from effluent produced at the Gabriel Passos Refinery (Petrobrás refinery unit) for the cultivation of a strain of Scenedesmus obliquus BR003. Twelve experimental units of 20 L each were constructed in the experimental area of the Biofuel Laboratory of the Federal University of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil in an uncontrolled environment, and the cultures were evaluated by quantification of total carbohydrates, total lipids, dry biomass, and growth evaluated by absorbance. The results showed that the wastewater from petrochemical effluent is an efficient growth medium for the growth of Scenedesmus obliquus BR003 microalgae for large-scale cultivation on land that is not suitable for other agricultural crops.

Microalgae growth rate multivariable mathematical model for biomass production

“…(8) q max,NO3 = 0.2376 [mgNO 3 d −1 ] [21] q max,NH4 = 0.1632 [mgNH 4 d −1 ] Eq. (9) [NO 3 ] = [0:0.5:51] [mg L −1 d −1 ] [56] [NH 4 ] = [40:1.19:160] [mg L −1 d −1 ] [57] Eq. (10) CO 2 = [0:2:200] [ μ M] Adjusting data with [33] K N,NO3 = 31.5 mg L −1 [20] K N,NH4 = 31.5 mg L −1 K I,NH4 = 39.14 mg L −1 Adjusting data with [21] K D,NO3 = 30 mg L −1 K D,NH4 = 350 mg L −1 q NO3 = Ec.…”