Use of microalgal-fungal pellets for hydroponics effluent recycling and high-value biomass production.
Heliyon
; 10(18): e37539, 2024 Sep 30.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39309834
ABSTRACT
Hydroponic effluent (HE), enriched with inorganic nutrients, presents a viable, low-cost cultivation medium for microalgal biomass production and subsequent resource recovery. However, downstream processing, particularly biomass harvesting, remains a critical challenge for microalgal biorefineries. Therefore, the present study explored the potential of microalgal-fungal pellets (MAFP) in HE recycling for the production of biochemical-rich biomass. The optimized fungi-to-microalgae ratio (FA) of 13 resulted in 100 % microalgal pelletization within 6 h. Surface characteristics suggested that metabolically active fungi with opposite charges facilitate microalgal pelletization. Further, MAFP exhibited a packed porous structure that was resilient to shear forces and had a high capacity for nutrient uptake. MAFP cultivation in HE demonstrated complete removal of ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N), phosphate (PO4³â»), and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3â»-N) within 7-9 days. The produced biomass was rich in biomolecules, including lipids (18.36 ± 0.12 % TS), protein (52.06 ± 2.1 % TS), and carbohydrates (28.95 ± 0.05 % TS). Besides, the high methane potential of MAFP (SMP ≈ 502.74 ± 19.1 mL CH4 g-1 VS, and TMP ≈ 817.68 ± 12.5 mL CH4 g-1 VS) indicated its suitability for biogas production. In essence, MAFP offers efficient HE recycling and biochemically rich biomass production, advancing towards a green and circular bioeconomy.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Heliyon
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
India
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido