Effect of macronutrients (carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus) on the growth of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and nutrient recovery under different trophic conditions

More stringent discharge standards have led to the development of an alternative nutrient recovery system from wastewater. Microalgae cultivation in wastewater treatment works has presented considerable promise from the perspective of sustainable resource management. Growth kinetics models are useful tools to optimize nutrient recovery from wastewater by algal uptake. Therefore, this research aims to identify the growth kinetics of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii under both heterotrophic and phototrophic conditions with different nutrient concentrations that typify those found in wastewater treatment works. In addition, the effects of macronutrients (C, N, and P) on heterotrophic and phototrophic microalgae growth and nutrient recovery were studied. Greater specific growth rates were achieved under heterotrophic conditions than in phototrophic cultivation. The maximum specific growth rates and nutrient recovery efficiencies were achieved at 5 mg P L-1 under both heterotrophic and phototrophic growth conditions. Nitrate was the preferred form of nitrogen source under heterotrophic conditions, while nitrogen sources did not present any significant influences in the phototrophic cultivation. Specific growth rates reported for both heterotrophic and phototrophic microalgae at lower carbon concentrations (3.10 d(-1) and 0.46 d(-1), sequentially) were higher than those at higher carbon concentrations (1.95 d(-1) and 0.22 d(-1), respectively). C. reinhardtii presented an extreme capacity to adapt and grow at all experimental conditions tested in heterotrophic and phototrophic cultivations.