title: Closing Domestic Nutrient Cycles Using Microalgae.
abstract: This study demonstrates that microalgae can effectively recover all P and N from anaerobically treated black water (toilet wastewater). Thus, enabling the removal of nutrients from the black water and the generation of a valuable algae product in one step. Screening experiments with green microalgae and cyanobacteria showed that all tested green microalgae species successfully grew on anaerobically treated black water. In a subsequent controlled experiment in flat-panel photobioreactors, Chlorella sorokiniana was able to remove 100% of the phosphorus and nitrogen from the medium. Phosphorus was depleted within 4 days while nitrogen took 12 days to reach depletion. The phosphorus and nitrogen removal rates during the initial linear growth phase were 17 and 122 mg·L(-1)·d(-1), respectively. After this initial phase, the phosphorus was depleted. The nitrogen removal rate continued to decrease in the second phase, resulting in an overall removal rate of 80 mg·L(-1)·d(-1). The biomass concentration at the end of the experiment was 11.5 g·L(-1), with a P content of approximately 1% and a N content of 7.6%. This high algal biomass concentration, together with a relatively short P recovery time, is a promising finding for future post-treatment of black water while gaining valuable algal biomass for further application.
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) , P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tânia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos Fernandes
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) , P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Rabin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shrestha
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) , P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Yixing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sui
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) , P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Papini
authors.affiliation: Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University , P.O. Box 8129, 6700 EV Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Grietje
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zeeman
authors.affiliation: Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) , P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Louise E M
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Vet
authors.affiliation: Bioprocess Engineering, AlgaePARC, Wageningen University , P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.|University of Nordland , Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, N-8049, Bodø, Norway.
authors.forename: Rene H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Wijffels
authors.affiliation: Bioprocess Engineering, AlgaePARC, Wageningen University , P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Packo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lamers
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D018533:Biomass; D002708:Chlorella / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D058086:Microalgae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism*; D058433:Photobioreactors; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D009584:Nitrogen; D010758:Phosphorus; D062065:Wastewater