ABSTRACT
Brackish groundwater is promising for the cultivation of economically important microalgae; however, its effects have been evaluated only after nutrient supplementation. In this study, 100% brackish groundwater was evaluated as a culture medium for Spirulina sp. (BGWS) and Chlorella fusca (BGWC). In addition, the effects of supplementation with 25% of the nutrients from Zarrouk (BGWS25) and BG-11 (BGWC25) culture media were evaluated. BGWS and BGWC increased the concentration (68.1% w w-1) and productivity of carbohydrate (35.3 mg L-1 d-1) in Spirulina sp. and increased the concentration (56.4% w w-1) and productivity (13.5 mg L-1 d-1) of lipids in C. fusca biomass, when compared to that in the respective controls. The use of brackish groundwater as the sole culture medium is an innovative alternative for the economic production of biomass rich in carbohydrates and lipids. This has potential applications for biofuel production.
