Utilization of the aqueous phase of the hydrothermal liquefaction process as a substrate for microalgae cultivation

The article presents the culturing of nine microalgae strains from the IPPAS collection of IFR RAS using components of the aqueous phase of the excessive activated sludge hydrothermal revitalization process as a substrate. In order to select the most promising cultures, their growth characteristics and efficient removal of NH4+ ions, PO43- and organic compounds were studied. All the studied cultures are shown to be able to utilize components of the aqueous phase as a nutrient substrate. The highest specific growth rate of 0.92 day-1 was observed in the strain Chlorella sp. IPPAS C-1210. However, the Parachlorella kessleri IPPAS C-9 and Chlorella minutissima IPPAS C-123 strains were also promising in terms of their efficiency of pollutant removal from the medium: efficiency of ammonium nitrogen assimilation was 78 and 81%, while phosphate ion assimilation was 89 and 91%, respectively. The biomass composition of C-9 and C-123 cultures was investigated, mainly consisting of polysaccharides – at 41 and 44% – and proteins – at 31 and 25% of the total mass, respectively. A high degree of neutralization of the medium was additionally achieved as a result of consecutive two-stage purification of the aqueous phase of the process of hydrothermal revitalization of excessive activated sludge with the use of microorganisms-destructors (Paenarthrobacter nicotinovorans and Comamonas testosteroni) and the studied microalgae cultures. During 17 days of the purification process, the concentration of ammonium ions decreased from 289.8±14.9 to 51.1±2.2 mg/dm3, phosphates from 116.3±8.1 to 11.3 mg/dm3; the overall efficiency of the process of pollutants removal from the aqueous phase was up to 90%.

microalgae, hydrothermal liquefaction, water phase, growth characteristics