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Alavianghavanini A, Shayesteh H, Bahri PA, Vadiveloo A, Moheimani NR. Microalgae cultivation for treating agricultural effluent and producing value-added products. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169369. [PMID: 38104821 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Wastewater generated within agricultural sectors such as dairies, piggeries, poultry farms, and cattle meat processing plants is expected to reach 600 million m3 yr-1 globally. Currently, the wastewater produced by these industries are primarily treated by aerobic and anaerobic methods. However, the treated effluent maintains a significant concentration of nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. On the other hand, the valorisation of conventional microalgae biomass into bioproducts with high market value still requires expensive processing pathways such as dewatering and extraction. Consequently, cultivating microalgae using agricultural effluents shows the potential as a future technology for producing value-added products and treated water with low nutrient content. This review explores the feasibility of growing microalgae on agricultural effluents and their ability to remove nutrients, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus. In addition to evaluating the market size and value of products from wastewater-grown microalgae, we also analysed their biochemical characteristics including protein, carbohydrate, lipid, and pigment content. Furthermore, we assessed the costs of both upstream and downstream processing of biomass to gain a comprehensive understanding of the economic potential of the process. The findings from this study are expected to facilitate further techno-economic and feasibility assessments by providing insights into optimized processing pathways and ultimately leading to the reduction of costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arsalan Alavianghavanini
- Engineering and Energy, College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Murdoch University, 90 South street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Hajar Shayesteh
- Algae R & D Centre, Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia; Centre for Water, Energy and Waste, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Parisa A Bahri
- Engineering and Energy, College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Murdoch University, 90 South street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia; Centre for Water, Energy and Waste, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Ashiwin Vadiveloo
- Algae R & D Centre, Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia; Centre for Water, Energy and Waste, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Navid R Moheimani
- Algae R & D Centre, Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia; Centre for Water, Energy and Waste, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.
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Morillas-España A, Pérez-Crespo R, Villaró-Cos S, Rodríguez-Chikri L, Lafarga T. Integrating microalgae-based wastewater treatment, biostimulant production, and hydroponic cultivation: a sustainable approach to water management and crop production. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1364490. [PMID: 38425996 PMCID: PMC10902165 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1364490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
A natural appearing microalgae-bacteria consortium was used to process urban wastewater. The process was done in an 80 m2 raceway reactor and the results were compared to an identical reactor operated using freshwater supplemented with commercial fertilisers. The biomass harvesting was done using commercial ultrafiltration membranes to reduce the volume of culture centrifuged. The membrane allowed achieving a biomass concentration of ∼9-10 g L-1. The process proposed avoids the use of centrifuges and the drying of the biomass, two of the most energy consuming steps of conventional processes. The specific growth rate in freshwater and the wastewater-based media was estimated as 0.30 ± 0.05 and 0.24 ± 0.02 days-1, respectively (p < 0.05). The maximum concentration reached at the end of the batch phase was 0.96 ± 0.03 and 0.83 ± 0.07 g L-1 when the biomass was produced using freshwater and wastewater, respectively (p < 0.05). The total nitrogen removal capacity of the system was on average 1.35 g m-2·day-1; nitrogen assimilation into biomass represented 60%-95% of this value. Furthermore, the P-PO4 3- removal capacity of the system varied from 0.15 to 0.68 g m-2·day-1. The outlet effluent of the reactor was used as a nutrient source in the hydroponic production of zucchini seedlings, leading to an increase in the root dry weight and the stem diameter compared to the water alone. The produced biomass showed potential for use as feedstock to produce plant biostimulants with positive effects on root development and chlorophyll retention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainoa Morillas-España
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almeria, Almeria, Spain
- CIESOL Solar Energy Research Centre, Joint Centre University of Almeria-CIEMAT, Almeria, Spain
| | - Raúl Pérez-Crespo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almeria, Almeria, Spain
| | - Silvia Villaró-Cos
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almeria, Almeria, Spain
- CIESOL Solar Energy Research Centre, Joint Centre University of Almeria-CIEMAT, Almeria, Spain
| | | | - Tomas Lafarga
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almeria, Almeria, Spain
- CIESOL Solar Energy Research Centre, Joint Centre University of Almeria-CIEMAT, Almeria, Spain
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Villaró S, García-Vaquero M, Morán L, Álvarez C, Cabral EM, Lafarga T. Effect of seawater on the biomass composition of Spirulina produced at a pilot-scale. N Biotechnol 2023; 78:173-179. [PMID: 37967766 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2023.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
The microalga Arthrospira platensis BEA 005B was produced in 11.4 m3 raceway photobioreactors and a culture medium based on commercial fertilisers and either freshwater or seawater. The biomass productivity of the reactors operated at a fixed dilution rate of 0.3 day-1 decreased from 22.9 g·m-2·day-1 when operated using freshwater to 16.3 g·m-2·day-1 when the biomass was produced using seawater. The protein content of the biomass produced in seawater was lower; however, the content of essential amino acids including valine, leucine and isoleucine was higher. Seawater also triggered the production of carotenoids and altered the synthesis and accumulation of fatty acids. For example, the biomass produced using seawater showed a 319% and 210% higher content of oleic and eicosenoic acid, respectively. The results demonstrate that it is possible to produce the selected microalga using seawater after an adaptation period and that the composition of the produced biomass is suitable for food applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Villaró
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almería, Almería, Spain; CIESOL Solar Energy Research Centre, Joint Centre University of Almería-CIEMAT, Almería, Spain
| | - Marco García-Vaquero
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Lara Morán
- Lactiker Research Group, Department of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Carlos Álvarez
- Department of Food Quality and Sensory Science, Teagasc Food Research Centre Ashtown, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Eduarda Melo Cabral
- Department of Food Quality and Sensory Science, Teagasc Food Research Centre Ashtown, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Tomas Lafarga
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almería, Almería, Spain; CIESOL Solar Energy Research Centre, Joint Centre University of Almería-CIEMAT, Almería, Spain.
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Dai J, Zheng M, He Y, Zhou Y, Wang M, Chen B. Real-time response counterattack strategy of tolerant microalgae Chlorella vulgaris MBFJNU-1 in original swine wastewater and free ammonia. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 377:128945. [PMID: 36958682 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.128945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This work was the first time to systematically clarify the potential tolerance mechanism of an indigenous Chlorella vulgaris MBFJNU-1 towards the free ammonia (FA) during the original swine wastewater (OSW) treatment by transcriptome analysis using C. vulgaris UETX395 as the control group. The obtained results showed that C. vulgaris MBFJNU-1 was found to be more resistant to the high levels of FA (115 mg/L) and OSW in comparison to C. vulgaris UETX395 (38 mg/L). Moreover, the transcriptomic results stated that some key pathways from arginine biosynthesis, electron generation and transmission, ATP synthesis in chloroplasts, and glutathione synthesis of C. vulgaris MBFJNU-1 were greatly related with the OSW and FA. Additionally, C. vulgaris MBFJNU-1 in OSW and FA performed similar results in the common differentially expressed genes from these mentioned pathways. Overall, these obtained results deliver essential details in microalgal biotechnology to treat swine wastewater and high free ammonia wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingxuan Dai
- College of Life Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
| | - Mingmin Zheng
- College of Life Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China; Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microbiology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China.
| | - Yongjin He
- College of Life Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China; Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microbiology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
| | - Youcai Zhou
- College of Life Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
| | - Mingzi Wang
- College of Life Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China; Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microbiology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
| | - Bilian Chen
- College of Life Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China; Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microbiology, Ministry of Education, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
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Villaró S, Jiménez-Márquez S, Musari E, Bermejo R, Lafarga T. Production of enzymatic hydrolysates with in vitro antioxidant, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic properties from proteins derived from Arthrospira platensis. Food Res Int 2023; 163:112270. [PMID: 36596181 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The microalga Arthrospira platensis BEA 005B was produced using 80 m2 (9 m3) raceway photobioreactors achieving a biomass productivity of 28.2 g·m-2·day-1 when operating the reactors in semi-continuous mode (0.33 day-1). The produced biomass was rich in proteins (58.1 g·100 g-1) and carbohydrates (25.6 g·100 g-1); the content of phycocyanins and allophycocyanins was 115.4 and 36.9 mg·g-1, respectively. Ultrasounds and high-pressure homogenisation allowed recovering approximately 90% of the initial protein content of the biomass; however, the energetic requirements of the former (∼100 kJ·kg-1) were significantly lower than those of high-pressure homogenisation (∼200 kJ·kg-1). An in silico analysis revealed that papain and ficin would allow releasing a large number of bioactive peptides with antioxidant, antihypertensive (ACE-I and renin), and antidiabetic (DPP-IV, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase) properties. Both were assessed in vitro together with Alcalase and pepsin leading to the generation of enzymatic hydrolysates with in vitro bioactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Villaró
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain; CIESOL Solar Energy Research Centre, Joint Centre University of Almeria-CIEMAT, 04120 Almeria, Spain
| | | | - Evan Musari
- Department of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60121 Ancona, Italy
| | - Ruperto Bermejo
- Department of Physical and Analytical Chemistry, University of Jaen, 23700 Linares, Spain
| | - Tomás Lafarga
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain; CIESOL Solar Energy Research Centre, Joint Centre University of Almeria-CIEMAT, 04120 Almeria, Spain.
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Optimisation of Operational Conditions during the Production of Arthrospira platensis Using Pilot-Scale Raceway Reactors, Protein Extraction, and Assessment of their Techno-Functional Properties. Foods 2022; 11:foods11152341. [PMID: 35954107 PMCID: PMC9368457 DOI: 10.3390/foods11152341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to identify the optimum combination of dilution rate and depth of the culture to maximise the Arthrospira platensis BEA005B (Spirulina) productivity using 80 m2 raceway reactors. By varying these two main operational conditions, the areal biomass productivity of the reactors varied by over 55%. The optimum combination, optimised using a surface response methodology, was a depth of 0.10 m and a dilution rate of 0.33 day-1, which led to a biomass productivity of 30.2 g·m-2·day-1 on a dry weight basis when operating the reactors in semi-continuous mode. The composition of the produced biomass was 62.2% proteins, 42.5% carbohydrates, 11.6% ashes, and 8.1% lipids. The isolated proteins contained all the essential amino acids (except for tryptophan, which was not determined); highlighting the content of valine (6.8%), histidine (8.3%), and lysine (7.5%). The functional properties of the proteins were also assessed, demonstrating huge potential for their use in the development of innovative and sustainable foods.
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Morillas-España A, Ruiz-Nieto Á, Lafarga T, Acién G, Arbib Z, González-López CV. Biostimulant Capacity of Chlorella and Chlamydopodium Species Produced Using Wastewater and Centrate. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11071086. [PMID: 36101464 PMCID: PMC9312269 DOI: 10.3390/biology11071086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The world population is expected to grow by over 2 billion people in the coming decades, involving an increase in agricultural production. Agriculture demands huge amounts of water and energy, so it is crucial to minimise the use of these resources to ensure a sustainable future. Plant biostimulants can promote germination, plant growth, flowering, and crop productivity, as well as increase nutrient-use efficiencies and resistance to abiotic stress. Microalgae are a novel and interesting source of biostimulants, and they can grow using wastewater. Although there is great interest in developing and applying these natural biostimulants produced from microalgae, there is still only a limited number of well-characterised and stable products available commercially. It is therefore necessary to identify novel strains that have a biostimulant capacity that are robust, that can grow in wastewater, and that are highly productive. This work determines the viability of producing high-quality microalgal biomass using wastewater and assesses the biostimulant capacity of the produced biomass. It is focused on an initial laboratory-scale study to produce these strains in wastewater and a preliminary validation of their biostimulant capacity. Abstract The aim of the present study was to assess the potential of producing four microalgal strains using secondary-treated urban wastewater supplemented with centrate, and to evaluate the biostimulant effects of several microalgal extracts obtained using water and sonication. Four strains were studied: Chlorella vulgaris UAL-1, Chlorella sp. UAL-2, Chlorella vulgaris UAL-3, and Chlamydopodium fusiforme UAL-4. The highest biomass productivity was found for C. fusiforme, with a value of 0.38 ± 0.01 g·L−1·day−1. C. vulgaris UAL-1 achieved a biomass productivity of 0.31 ± 0.03 g·L−1·day−1 (the highest for the Chlorella genus), while the N-NH4+, N-NO3−, and P-PO43− removal capacities of this strain were 51.9 ± 2.4, 0.8 ± 0.1, and 5.7 ± 0.3 mg·L−1·day−1, respectively. C. vulgaris UAL-1 showed the greatest potential for use as a biostimulant—when used at a concentration of 0.1 g·L−1, it increased the germination index of watercress seeds by 3.5%. At concentrations of 0.5 and 2.0 g·L−1, the biomass from this microalga promoted adventitious root formation in soybean seeds by 220% and 493%, respectively. The cucumber expansion test suggested a cytokinin-like effect from C. vulgaris UAL-1; it was also the only strain that promoted the formation of chlorophylls in wheat leaves. Overall, the results of the present study suggest the potential of producing C. vulgaris UAL-1 using centrate and wastewater as well as the potential utilisation of its biomass to develop high-value biostimulants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ainoa Morillas-España
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain; (A.M.-E.); (Á.R.-N.); (T.L.); (G.A.)
- Functional Desalination and Photosynthesis Unit, CIESOL Solar Research Centre, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Ángela Ruiz-Nieto
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain; (A.M.-E.); (Á.R.-N.); (T.L.); (G.A.)
| | - Tomás Lafarga
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain; (A.M.-E.); (Á.R.-N.); (T.L.); (G.A.)
- Functional Desalination and Photosynthesis Unit, CIESOL Solar Research Centre, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Gabriel Acién
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain; (A.M.-E.); (Á.R.-N.); (T.L.); (G.A.)
- Functional Desalination and Photosynthesis Unit, CIESOL Solar Research Centre, 04120 Almería, Spain
| | - Zouhayr Arbib
- Sustainability Area FCC Aqualia, 04001 Almería, Spain;
| | - Cynthia V. González-López
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain; (A.M.-E.); (Á.R.-N.); (T.L.); (G.A.)
- Research Center for Mediterranean Intensive Agrosystems and Agrifood Biotechnology CIAIMBITAL, 04120 Almería, Spain
- Correspondence:
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