Abstract
The effectiveness of photosynthetic free-living and polyurethane foam (PU) immobilized Anabaena variabilis cells for, removal of orthophosphate (P) from water in batch cultures and in a photobioreactor was studied. Immobilization in PU foams was found to have a positive effect on P uptake by cyanobacteria in batch cultures. The efficiency of P uptake by immobilized cells was higher than by free-living cells. A laboratory scale photobioreactor was constructed for removal of P from water by the immobilized cyanobacteria. The photobioreactor was designed so that the growth medium (water) from a reservoir was pumped through a photobioreactor column with immobilized cyanobacteria and back to the reservoir. This created a closed system in which it was possible to measure P uptake. No leakage of cells into the photobioreactor medium reservoir was observed during the operation. The immobilized cells incorporated into a photobioreactor column removed P continuously for about 15 d. No measurable uptake was demonstrated after this period. Orthophosphate uptake efficiency of 88–92% was achieved by the photobioreactor.
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Gaffney, A.M., Markov, S.A. & Gunasekaran, M. Utilization of cyanobacteria in photobioreactors for orthophosphate removal from water. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 91, 185–193 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1385/ABAB:91-93:1-9:185
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/ABAB:91-93:1-9:185