Effect of light source on the microbiological desulfurization in a photobioreactor

Abstract

Removal rates of a toxic pollutant-hydrogen sulfide were investigated using several light sources in photosynthetic desulfurization. An incandescent bulb has a broad spectrum starting from about 400 nm but emits most of its light energy beyond 800 nm as heat. LED₇₁₀ among those sources saved energy considerably comparing with the incandescent light, but the scattering and absorption was a problem in light transmission within the deep region of a bioreactor due to its own weak light intensity. Fluorescent light was inefficient in desulfurization in comparison with light sources illuminating with wide wavelength range, because of the weak transmittance at the peak wavelength of 460 nm. A combination of LED₇₁₀ and fluorescent lamp was estimated as an optimal light source in this study.