Mixotrophic cultivation of a microalga Scenedesmus obliquus in municipal wastewater supplemented with food wastewater and flue gas CO2 for biomass production

• Published in: Journal of environmental management 2015-08, Vol.159, p.115-120
• Main Authors: Ji, Min-Kyu, Yun, Hyun-Shik, Park, Young-Tae, Kabra, Akhil N., Oh, In-Hwan, Choi, Jaeyoung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bio-energy; Biofuels; Biomass; Carbohydrate Metabolism; Carbon Dioxide - chemistry; Carbon Dioxide - metabolism; Flue gas CO2; Food; Food wastewater; Lipid Metabolism; Scenedesmus - growth & development; Scenedesmus - metabolism; Scenedesmus - physiology; Scenedesmus obliquus; Waste Water - chemistry; Water Purification - methods
• ISSN: 0301-4797; 1095-8630
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.05.037

The biomass and lipid/carbohydrate production by a green microalga Scenedesmus obliquus under mixotrophic condition using food wastewater and flue gas CO2 with municipal wastewater was investigated. Different dilution ratios (0.5–2%) of municipal wastewater with food wastewater were evaluated in the presence of 5, 10 and 14.1% CO2. The food wastewater (0.5–1%) with 10–14.1% CO2 supported the highest growth (0.42–0.44 g L−1), nutrient removal (21–22 mg TN L−1), lipid productivity (10–11 mg L−1day−1) and carbohydrate productivity (13–16 mg L−1day−1) by S. obliquus after 6 days of cultivation. Food wastewater increased the palmitic and oleic acid contents up to 8 and 6%, respectively. Thus, application of food wastewater and flue gas CO2 can be employed for enhancement of growth, lipid/carbohydrate productivity and wastewater treatment efficiency of S. obliquus under mixotrophic condition, which can lead to development of a cost effective strategy for microalgal biomass production. •Mixotrophic microalgal cultivation using food wastewater and CO2 was investigated.•Food wastewater and CO2 improved the high quality FAME production of Scenedesmus obliquus.•Carbohydrate production by S. obliquus was enhanced by food wastewater and CO2.•Biofuel feedstock production with wastewater treatment was demonstrated.