INVESTIGATING WASTEWATER TREATMENT POTENTIALS OF MICROALGAE AND CYANOBACTERIA ISOLATED FROM BIOGAS PRODUCTION PLANT DISCHARGE WATERS
Project no. 32474 · Status: Kapanmış (Yayın bekleniyor) · 2024
Summary
<p>In this study, the potential use of biogas plant effluent for microalgae and cyanobacteria cultivation was investigated. For this purpose, cultures of <em>Coelastrella</em> sp. and <em>Leptolyngbya</em> sp. were grown in photobioreactors containing BG-11 medium and 2.5% digestate, and changes in optical density, cell count, photosynthetic pigment content, and biochemical parameters of the culture medium were monitored over a 135-day experimental period. In this way, the potential of digestate not merely as a waste product but also as an alternative nutrient source for microbial biomass production was evaluated.</p><p>The results demonstrated that <em>Coelastrella</em> sp. and <em>Leptolyngbya</em> sp. exhibited a higher growth performance in BG-11 medium, whereas in digestate-containing reactors, despite the initial limitations caused by turbidity and nutrient imbalance, the cultures were able to adapt over time. Notably, the increase in carotenoid and phycobiliprotein levels observed in digestate systems indicated that the microorganisms developed oxidative stress responses against wastewater constituents while maintaining their photosynthetic activity.</p><p>In addition, reductions in nitrogen, phosphate, and COD values in digestate reactors revealed that microalgae and cyanobacteria were capable of consuming these compounds, thereby lowering the pollutant load of the medium. These findings demonstrate that the utilization of biogas plant effluents in photobioreactors represents a feasible and sustainable biotechnological approach, offering both environmental remediation and valuable biomass production.</p>