title: Cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris and Arthrospira platensis with recovered phosphorus from wastewater by means of zeolite sorption.
abstract: In this study, zeolite was employed for the separation and recovery of P from synthetic wastewater and its use as phosphorus (P) source for the cultivation of the green microalga Chlorella vulgaris and the cyanobacterium Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis. At P-loaded zeolite concentration of 0.15-1 g/L, in which P was limited, the two species displayed quite different behavior regarding their growth and biomass composition. C. vulgaris preferred to increase the intracellular P and did not synthesize biomass, while A. platensis synthesized biomass keeping the intracellular P as low as possible. In addition under P limitation, C. vulgaris did display some little alteration of the biomass composition, while A. platensis did it significantly, accumulating carbohydrates around 70% from about 15%-20% (control). Both species could desorb P from zeolite biologically. A. platensis could recover over 65% and C. vulgaris 25% of the P bounded onto zeolite. When P-loaded zeolite concentration increased to 5 g/L, P was adequate to support growth for both species. Especially in the case of C. vulgaris, growth was stimulated from the presence of P-loaded zeolite and produced more biomass compared to the control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resources Management and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, Athens 11855, Greece. markoug@aua.gr.
authors.forename: Giorgos
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Markou
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Aquatic Biology, KU Leuven Kulak, E. Sabbelaan 53, Kortrijk 8500, Belgium. Orily.Depraetere@kuleuven-kulak.be.
authors.forename: Orily
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Depraetere
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Aquatic Biology, KU Leuven Kulak, E. Sabbelaan 53, Kortrijk 8500, Belgium. Dries.Vandamme@kuleuven-kulak.be.
authors.forename: Dries
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vandamme
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Aquatic Biology, KU Leuven Kulak, E. Sabbelaan 53, Kortrijk 8500, Belgium. Koenraad.Muylaert@kuleuven-kulak.be.
authors.forename: Koenraad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muylaert
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D018533:Biomass; D048408:Chlorella vulgaris / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D007700:Kinetics; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D053545:Spirulina / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D017641:Zeolites / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010758:Phosphorus; D062065:Wastewater; D017641:Zeolites