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Influence of algal strain on microalgal-bacterial bioflocculation rate and floc characteristics

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Abstract

Microalgal-bacterial (MaB) flocs are a promising route towards sustainable wastewater treatment, but the effects of algal species and algal abundance on MaB floc function are not yet understood. MaB flocs were created by inoculating activated sludge with several species of algae at different initial algal to bacterial biomass ratios (5:1, 2:1, 1:1, or 1:5 algae:activated sludge) to determine the effects on nutrient removal, lipid content, microalgal-bacterial bioflocculation rates, and settleability. The algal species Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorella sorokiniana, Scenedesmus dimorphus, and Neochloris oleoabundans all formed MaB flocs within 2 h of inoculation with activated sludge. Chlorella vulgaris formed MaB flocs with the highest lipid content (11.1%), followed by S. dimorphus (8.2%), and N. oleoabundans (6.4%), for MaB flocs inoculated at 1:1 algae:activated sludge (w/w) ratio. Chlorella vulgaris incorporated into activated sludge to form MaB flocs to the greatest extent, and C. sorokiniana the least. Phosphorus removal was influenced by the species of microalgae used for MaB floc inoculum, with S. dimorphus showing highest P removal of up to 92–97% at 5:1 and 2:1 algae:activated sludge (w/w) ratios.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to Brian Flanagan at Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant with the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District for obtaining activated sludge. Thanks to Nicholas Merchant-Wells and Aaron Mann for performing additional analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Mark Henry Loria & Kurt Ryan Rhoads

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road Tech, Evanston, IL, USA

    George Fraser Wells

Authors
  1. Mark Henry Loria
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  2. George Fraser Wells
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  3. Kurt Ryan Rhoads
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Mark Loria. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Mark Loria and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kurt Ryan Rhoads.

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Loria, M.H., Wells, G.F. & Rhoads, K.R. Influence of algal strain on microalgal-bacterial bioflocculation rate and floc characteristics. J Appl Phycol 33, 777–784 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-021-02378-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-021-02378-3

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