title: Bioflocculation of microalgae and bacteria combined with flue gas to improve sewage treatment.
abstract: Although microalgae are promising for a cradle-to-cradle design approach of sewage treatment, their application is hampered by high harvesting costs and low C:N ratios of sewage. Therefore, the potential of microalgal bacterial flocs (MaB-flocs) was investigated for the secondary treatment of sewage supplemented with different flue gas flow rates (FGFRs) from a coal power plant. Effluent (N, P, turbidity and pH) and off gas discharge levels (NO(x), SO(x)) met the European discharge limits with a hydraulic retention time of only 0.67 days and an FGFR of 0.6Lh(-1) (0.0025 vvm). This FGFR provided sufficient carbon and resulted in removal efficiencies of 48 ± 7% CO(2), 87 ± 5% NO(x) and 99 ± 1% SO(2). MaB-flocs settled fast reaching up to a density of 19 g VSSL(-1). High biomass productivities (0.18 gL(-1)day(-1)) were obtained under a low light intensity. This successful reactor performance indicates the large potential for the industrial application of MaB-flocs for flue gas sparged sewage treatment.
authors.affiliation: EnBiChem Research Group, Department of Industrial Engineering and Technology, University College West Flanders, Graaf Karel de Goedelaan 5, B-8500 Kortrijk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sofie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Den Hende
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vervaeren
authors.forename: Sem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Desmet
authors.forename: Nico
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boon
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D019149:Bioreactors; D005740:Gases / Q000737:chemistry*; D058086:Microalgae / Q000378:metabolism*; D011210:Power Plants; D012722:Sewage / Q000737:chemistry*; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005740:Gases; D012722:Sewage