Cultivation of the microalgae Parachlorella kessleri using wastewater from a fishmeal & oil industry and its application for nitrogen removal

Resumen

The cultivation of algae using an alternative medium, mainly residues, is promising and has been intensively studied. The industrial or agro-industrial wastewaters are alternatives as they contain high concentrations of micro and macronutrients. At the same time, the major interest is the cultivation of the alga combined with the removal of nutrients from the aqueous medium. The aim of this study was to evaluate the growth and biochemical composition of the microalgae Parachlorella kessleri LCBA001. The algae grown has conducted associated with the wastewater treatment of a fishmeal& oil industry. Different conditions of medium were evaluated, varying the proportion of TAP (tris acetate phosphate) medium and the wastewater. Parameters as growth indicators, biochemical analyses of algal biomass, nutrient analyses before and after cultivation and the nitrogen removal yield were assessed. Microalgae growth was lower in the tests involving the wastewater than control test. However, there were no significant changes in the biochemical composition of the biomass. The removal of total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) ranged from 83 to 90%. The results obtained demonstrated that the wastewater from a fishmeal & oil industry can be valorised as an alternative medium for algae growth.