Treatment of secondary urban wastewater with a low ammonium-tolerant marine microalga using zeolite-based adsorption
Identifiers
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10835/15221
ISSN: 0960-8524
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127490
ISSN: 0960-8524
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2022.127490
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López Rosales, Lorenzo; López-García, P.; Benyachou, M.A.; Molina Miras, Alejandro; Gallardo Rodríguez, Juan José; [et al.]Date
2022-06-22Abstract
The low tolerance of marine microalgae to ammonium and hyposalinity limits their use in urban wastewater (UWW) treatments. In this study, using the marine microalga Amphidinium carterae, it is demonstrated for the first time that this obstacle can be overcome by introducing a zeolite-based adsorption step to obtain a tolerable UWW stream. The maximum ammonium adsorption capacities measured in the natural zeolite used are among the highest reported. The microalga grows satisfactorily in mixtures of zeolite-treated UWW and seawater at a wide range of proportions, both with and without adjusting the salinity, as long as the ammonium concentration is below the threshold tolerated by the microalgae (6.3 mg L−1). A proof of concept performed in 10-L bubble column photobioreactors with different culture strategies, including medium recycling, showed an enhanced biomass yield relative to a control with no UWW. No noticeable effect was observed on the production of specialty metabolites.
Palabra/s clave
Zeolite
Microalga
Wastewater treatment
Ammonium
Adsorption
Photobioreactor