CO2 biofixation and fatty acid composition of Scenedesmus obliquus and Chlorella pyrenoidosa in response to different CO2 levels

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2011-02, Vol.102 (3), p.3071-3076
• Main Authors: Tang, Dahai, Han, Wei, Li, Penglin, Miao, Xiaoling, Zhong, Jianjiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biofixation; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon Dioxide - metabolism; Carbon Dioxide - pharmacology; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Chlorella - drug effects; Chlorella - metabolism; CO2; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Fatty acid; Fatty Acids - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Microalgae; Scenedesmus - metabolism; Total lipids
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2010.10.047

In this study, Scenedesmus obliquus SJTU-3 and Chlorella pyrenoidosa SJTU-2 were cultivated with 0.03%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 50% CO2. The two microalgae could grow at 50% CO2 (>0.69gL−1) and grew well (>1.22gL−1) under CO2 concentrations ranging from 5% to 20%. Both of the two examined microalgae showed best growth potential at 10% CO2. The maximum biomass concentration and CO2 biofixation rate were 1.84gL−1 and 0.288gL−1d−1 for S. obliquus SJTU-3 and 1.55gL−1 and 0.260gL−1d−1 for C. pyrenoidosa SJTU-2, respectively. The main fatty acid compositions of the two examined microalgae were fatty acids with C16–C18 (>94%) under different CO2 levels. High CO2 levels (30–50%) were favorable for the accumulation of total lipids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The present results suggested that the two microalgae be appropriate for mitigating CO2 in the flue gases and biodiesel production.