title: Growth of mono- and mixed cultures of Nannochloropsis salina and Phaeodactylum tricornutum on struvite as a nutrient source.
abstract: The suitability of crude and purified struvite (MgNH4PO4), a major precipitate in wastewater streams, was investigated for renewable replacement of conventional nitrogen and phosphate resources for cultivation of microalgae. Bovine effluent wastewater stone, the source of crude struvite, was characterized for soluble N/P, trace metals, and biochemical components and compared to the purified mineral. Cultivation trials using struvite as a major nutrient source were conducted using two microalgae production strains, Nannochloropsis salina and Phaeodactylum tricornutum, in both lab and outdoor pilot-scale raceways in a variety of seasonal conditions. Both crude and purified struvite-based media were found to result in biomass productivities at least as high as established media formulations (maximum outdoor co-culture yield ∼20±4gAFDW/m(2)/day). Analysis of nutrient uptake by the alga suggest that struvite provides increased nutrient utilization efficiency, and that crude struvite satisfies the trace metals requirement and results in increased pigment productivity for both microalgae strains.
authors.affiliation: Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, United States. Electronic address: rwdavis@sandia.gov.
authors.forename: Ryan W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Texas AgriLife Research Mariculture Laboratory, Corpus Christi, TX, United States.
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Siccardi
authors.affiliation: Texas AgriLife Research Mariculture Laboratory, Corpus Christi, TX, United States.
authors.forename: Nathan D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Huysman
authors.affiliation: Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, United States.
authors.forename: Nicholas B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Wyatt
authors.affiliation: Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, United States.
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Hewson
authors.affiliation: Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Todd W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Lane
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018533:Biomass; D002417:Cattle; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D017377:Diatoms / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D058086:Microalgae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D058009:Stramenopiles / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D000069877:Struvite / Q000378:metabolism*; D013781:Texas; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D009584:Nitrogen; D010758:Phosphorus; D000069877:Struvite; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Microalgae; Mixed culture; Nutrient recycling; Struvite; Wastewater