title: Hydraulic retention time effects on wastewater nutrient removal and bioproduct production via rotating algal biofilm reactor.
abstract: Rotating algal biofilm reactor (RABR) technology was successfully employed in an effective strategy to couple the removal of wastewater nutrients with accumulation of valuable bioproducts by grown algae. A secondary stage municipal wastewater was fed to the developed system and the effects of the hydraulic retention time (HRT) parameter on both nutrient removal and bioproduct production were evaluated under fed-batch operation mode. Two sets of bench scale RABRs were designed and operated with HRTs of 2 and 6days in order to provide competitive environment for algal growth. The HRT significantly affected nitrogen and phosphorus uptakes along with lipid and starch accumulations by microalgae in harvested biofilms. Domination of nitrogen removal in 2-day HRT with higher lipid accumulation (20% on dried weight basis) and phosphorus removal in 6-day HRT with higher starch production (27% on dried weight basis) was observed by comparing the performances of the RABRs in duplicate runs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering (DICAM), University of Bologna, via Terracini 28, 40131 Bologna, Italy; Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, United States. Electronic address: sahand.imanshayan@studio.unibo.it.
authors.forename: Sahand
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iman Shayan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, United States.
authors.forename: Foster A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Agblevor
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering (DICAM), University of Bologna, via Terracini 28, 40131 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bertin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, United States.
authors.forename: Ronald C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Sims
mesh_terms: D018441:Biofilms; D019149:Bioreactors; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D058086:Microalgae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000378:metabolism; D013213:Starch / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D018505:Waste Management / Q000379:methods*; D062065:Wastewater / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D009584:Nitrogen; D010758:Phosphorus; D013213:Starch; D062065:Wastewater
keywords: Algal biofilm; HRT; Lipid; Starch; Wastewater nutrient removal