title: Selection of native Tunisian microalgae for simultaneous wastewater treatment and biofuel production.
abstract: This paper focuses on the selection of native microalgae strains suitable for wastewater treatment and biofuel production. Four Chlorophyceae strains were isolated from North-eastern Tunisia. Their performances were compared in continuous mode at a 0.3 1/day dilution rate. The biomass productivity and nutrient removal capacity of each microalgae strain were studied. The most efficient strain was identified as Scenedesmus sp. and experiments at different dilution rates from 0.2 to 0.8 1/day were carried out. Maximal biomass productivity of 0.9 g/L day was obtained at 0.6 1/day. The removal of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonium and phosphorus was in the range of 92-94%, 61-99% and 93-99%, respectively. Carbohydrates were the major biomass fraction followed by lipids and then proteins. The saponifiable fatty acid content was in the 4.9-13.2% dry biomass range, with more than 50% of total fatty acids being composed of saturated and monosaturated fatty acids.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Bioprocesses, Sfax Centre of Biotechnology, University of Sfax, BP 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia; Chemical Engineering Department, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jebali
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering Department, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain; CIESOL, Joint Center University of Almeria-CIEMAT, 04120 Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Acién
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering Department, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain; CIESOL, Joint Center University of Almeria-CIEMAT, 04120 Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gómez
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering Department, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain; CIESOL, Joint Center University of Almeria-CIEMAT, 04120 Almería, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fernández-Sevilla
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Bioprocesses, Sfax Centre of Biotechnology, University of Sfax, BP 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mhiri
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Bioprocesses, Sfax Centre of Biotechnology, University of Sfax, BP 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Karray
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Bioprocesses, Sfax Centre of Biotechnology, University of Sfax, BP 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dhouib
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering Department, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain. Electronic address: emolina@ual.es.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Molina-Grima
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Bioprocesses, Sfax Centre of Biotechnology, University of Sfax, BP 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sayadi
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D018533:Biomass; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D058086:Microalgae / Q000378:metabolism*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis; D044444:Scenedesmus / Q000378:metabolism*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D005227:Fatty Acids; D010758:Phosphorus; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Biochemical composition; Biofuel; Microalgae; Productivity; Wastewater