Cost Effective and Economic method for Cultivation of Chlorella pyrenoidosa for wastewater treatment and Lipid Improvement.

Abstract

In today’s scenario, microalgae has received a lot of attention in many fields of research, specially for biofuel production as well as wastewater treatment. World is facing a scarcity of food and fuel, especially in developing countries like India who are struggling to meet their food and fuel requirements. All conventional energy sources are depleting due to anthropological activities that have resulted in abundant and reckless use of energy resources such as petroleum and coal to meet the needs of the hour and hence there is a huge need to develop alternate sources of energy. As a result, other sources of energy like biomass from which many biofuels can be produced are gaining importance. Microalgae are one such biomass which is a potential and promising source for biofuel production in the upcoming days [1]. Algae are not only a source of biomass for fuel production, but also a complete source of food this option can also be explored for nutrition for the malnourished population around the globe, this makes the alga stand alone as a nutrient source and also a method to explore bioremediation of the wastewater resources. Chlorella pyrenoidosa is one of the lipid rich microalga and cultivation of this species in wastewater has shown to be efficient. This study deals with the enhancement of lipid content and bioremediation effects [2]. Microalga, Chlorella pyrenoidosa was grown and the effect of different salt concentrations on growth, lipid content and bioremediation effect was studied, the results revealed that among the three different salt concentrations (NaNO3, NaCl, FeSO4.7H20) [3]. The lipid concentrations of the microalga played a crucial role in determining its role in tackling hunger and nutrition deficiency we see today in developing countries. Nitrogen deficiency of Chlorella pyrenoidosa at 1.00 Mm NaNO3 showed the highest lipid concentration with minimum growth rate. High salinity at 0.45 Mm gave the highest lipid content with minimum growth rates, similarly with ferrous sulphate at 32.25 micro grams showed higher lipid content. This study also examined the growth pattern of the microalga in Fogg’s media. In Plackett Burman design variables KNO3 and NaHCO3 were found to be significant for the microalga species, this when cultivated in wastewater (Vrishabhavathi River) and demonstrated for its feasibility to treat wastewater [4]. The dry weight of the microalga is about 0.488 grams in 300 ml after 15 days of incubation, which is more than the initial dry weight. The lipid enhancement adds to its characteristics for being a solution to the malnourishment and the deficiency we come across from our day to day life defining its quality also as a nutraceutical. The alga removed 78.3% of nitrate from wastewater, proving to be a good and natural source to remediate the wastewater and giving a sustainable option for exploration. Microalga is the one of the solutions to the energy scarcity we observe everyday. This species is not only a green and sustainable option, but also helps maintain a good biodiversity and ecological balance between humans and nature making it a reliable solution for the future and the present.

Fig.1. Chlorella sp under microscope