Class
Article
College
College of Engineering
Faculty Mentor
Ronald Sims
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
The purpose of the present study is to examine the effectiveness of various plastics as growth substrates for microalgae, to aid in making the treatment of wastewater more efficient and sustainable, and to identify the strains of algae that culture best on the given materials. Ten 1.2 meter disks were fashioned from ten different polymer based materials and fixed to rotate vertically in a bioreactor treating municipal wastewater at the larges treatment plant in the state of Utah at 60 million gallons per day. Polystyrene disks were also cut and fixed to one side of each plastic disk to serve as controls. The disks were inoculated with algae taken from the trickling filters of the plant. Weekly samples of biomass collected on the disks were harvested and examined under a microscope to identify microalgae species present. Biomass productivity of each disk was also calculated through measuring the dry weight of harvested samples. The filamentous Stigeoclonium and Klebsormidium genera were dominant, while other diatom strains, such as Nitzschia, were observed at smaller frequencies. Microalgae productivities will be used to determine the rate of nutrient uptake and removal from the wastewater, including nitrogen and phosphorus, to prevent eutrophication of receiving waters.
Location
The North Atrium
Start Date
4-12-2018 3:00 PM
End Date
4-12-2018 4:15 PM
Characterization and Productivity of Microalgae Species Grown on Bioreactor for Wastewater Remediation
The North Atrium
The purpose of the present study is to examine the effectiveness of various plastics as growth substrates for microalgae, to aid in making the treatment of wastewater more efficient and sustainable, and to identify the strains of algae that culture best on the given materials. Ten 1.2 meter disks were fashioned from ten different polymer based materials and fixed to rotate vertically in a bioreactor treating municipal wastewater at the larges treatment plant in the state of Utah at 60 million gallons per day. Polystyrene disks were also cut and fixed to one side of each plastic disk to serve as controls. The disks were inoculated with algae taken from the trickling filters of the plant. Weekly samples of biomass collected on the disks were harvested and examined under a microscope to identify microalgae species present. Biomass productivity of each disk was also calculated through measuring the dry weight of harvested samples. The filamentous Stigeoclonium and Klebsormidium genera were dominant, while other diatom strains, such as Nitzschia, were observed at smaller frequencies. Microalgae productivities will be used to determine the rate of nutrient uptake and removal from the wastewater, including nitrogen and phosphorus, to prevent eutrophication of receiving waters.