Identification of microalgae from waste stabilization ponds and evaluation of electroflotation by alternate current for simultaneous biomass separation and cell disruption

• Main Authors: Anna Patricya Florentino, Mayara Carantino Costa, José Gilmar Silva Nascimento, Eliezer Fares Abdala-Neto, Cesar Rossas Mota, Andre Bezerra dos Santos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazilian Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering 2019-04-01
• Series: Engenharia Sanitaria e Ambiental
• Subjects: biomassa microalgal; lagoas de estabilização; lipídios; eletroflotação por corrente alternada
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1413-41522019000100177&lng=en&tlng=en

ABSTRACT This work aimed to investigate algal diversity at the genus level in stabilization pond systems treating domestic wastewater and to evaluate the feasibility of an electroflotation by alternate current (EFAC) system for simultaneous microalgae separation and cell disruption. Evaluation of algal diversity showed that the genera Euglena and Chlorella were present in relatively high frequencies in five of the six effluents analyzed. The use of EFAC on an effluent that presented bloom of Chlorella achieved turbidity and chlorophyll-a removal efficiencies higher than 70 and 90%, respectively, after 70 minutes of operation. Total lipid yield for the Chlorella-rich biomass was 21.4±2.02%. Such high biomass lipid content demonstrates the potential for obtaining lipid-based biofuels from wastes. The current paper describes the first attempt, with promising results, at using electroflotation by alternate current for low cost, simultaneous microalgae harvesting and disruption.