Cultivation of microalgae at high-density with pretreated liquid digestate as a nitrogen source : fate of nitrogen and improvements on growth limitations

Pulgarin, Adrian; Kapeller, Alexander Garcia; Tarik, Mohamed; Egloff, Sophia; Mariotto, Marina; Ludwig, Christian; Refardt, Dominik

doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129238

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-23292

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Cultivation of microalgae at high-density with pretreated liquid digestate as a nitrogen source : fate of nitrogen and improvements on growth limitations
Authors:	Pulgarin, Adrian Kapeller, Alexander Garcia Tarik, Mohamed Egloff, Sophia Mariotto, Marina Ludwig, Christian Refardt, Dominik
et. al:	No
DOI:	10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129238 10.21256/zhaw-23292
Published in:	Journal of Cleaner Production
Volume(Issue):	324
Issue Date:	2021
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0959-6526
Language:	English
Subjects:	Microalgae; High-density cultivation; Liquid digestate; Nutrient recycling; Nitrogen mass balance
Subject (DDC):	570: Biology
Abstract:	A liquid digestate rich in ammonium nitrogen (8.3 g L−1) was collected from an agricultural biogas plant and supplied to microalgae cultures as their only nitrogen source. Chlorella vulgaris was cultivated for up to 21 days, both under controlled conditions in laboratory-scale glass-column photobioreactors as well as outdoors in an open pilot-scale thin-layer photobioreactor. By systematically addressing issues associated with the use of liquid digestate (i.e., turbidity, nutrient imbalance, ammonium toxicity, and acidification), microalgae were robustly cultivated at a high density and cultures achieved a net biomass dry weight of between 10 and 14 g L−1, and a productivity of up to 0.93 g L−1 d−1 (93% of maximum expectation). Cultivation in the thin-layer photobioreactor achieved areal productivities between 7 and 10 g m−2 d−1. Water acidification due to the uptake of ammonium by microalgae was prevented by a controlled addition of NaOH. A detailed mass balance showed that, despite high removal efficiencies (approximately 3% of the supplied nitrogen remained in the medium), microalgae assimilated only 40–60% of the supplied nitrogen and, consequently, a large amount of nitrogen was lost to the atmosphere.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/23292
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	CC BY-NC-ND 4.0: Attribution - Non commercial - No derivatives 4.0 International
Departement:	Life Sciences and Facility Management
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Natural Resource Sciences (IUNR)
Published as part of the ZHAW project:	BIOMAT (Integrated Bio-based Materials Value Chains) Biogas2Algae
Appears in collections:	Publikationen Life Sciences und Facility Management

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Pulgarin, A., Kapeller, A. G., Tarik, M., Egloff, S., Mariotto, M., Ludwig, C., & Refardt, D. (2021). Cultivation of microalgae at high-density with pretreated liquid digestate as a nitrogen source : fate of nitrogen and improvements on growth limitations. Journal of Cleaner Production, 324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129238

Pulgarin, A. et al. (2021) ‘Cultivation of microalgae at high-density with pretreated liquid digestate as a nitrogen source : fate of nitrogen and improvements on growth limitations’, Journal of Cleaner Production, 324. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129238.

A. Pulgarin et al., “Cultivation of microalgae at high-density with pretreated liquid digestate as a nitrogen source : fate of nitrogen and improvements on growth limitations,” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 324, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129238.

PULGARIN, Adrian, Alexander Garcia KAPELLER, Mohamed TARIK, Sophia EGLOFF, Marina MARIOTTO, Christian LUDWIG und Dominik REFARDT, 2021. Cultivation of microalgae at high-density with pretreated liquid digestate as a nitrogen source : fate of nitrogen and improvements on growth limitations. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021. Bd. 324. DOI 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129238

Pulgarin, Adrian, Alexander Garcia Kapeller, Mohamed Tarik, Sophia Egloff, Marina Mariotto, Christian Ludwig, and Dominik Refardt. 2021. “Cultivation of Microalgae at High-Density with Pretreated Liquid Digestate as a Nitrogen Source : Fate of Nitrogen and Improvements on Growth Limitations.” Journal of Cleaner Production 324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129238.

Pulgarin, Adrian, et al. “Cultivation of Microalgae at High-Density with Pretreated Liquid Digestate as a Nitrogen Source : Fate of Nitrogen and Improvements on Growth Limitations.” Journal of Cleaner Production, vol. 324, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129238.