Investigation of the ability of living microalgae Dunaliella salina for phosphate and nitrate removal from wastewater

Subject Areas : Environment Pullotion (water and wastewater)

Malihe Amini ¹ (Associate Professor of Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, kerman, Iran. *(Corresponding Author))
Narjes Okati ² (Assistant Professor of Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Zabol, Zabol, Sistan and Balochestan, Iran. )
Zahra Amini khoei ³ (Assistant Professor of Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Offshore Fisheries Research Center, Chabahar, Sistan and Balochestan, Iran. )
Elnaz Erfani far ⁴ (Expert of Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Offshore Fisheries Research Center, Chabahar, Sistan and Balochestan, Iran.)

Received: 2021-03-31 Accepted : 2021-06-23 Published : 2024-05-21

Keywords: Wastewater, Phosphate, Nitrate, Removal percentage, Dunaliella salina.,

Abstract :

Background and Objective: The use of microalgae is an effective path in the process of advanced wastewater treatment in order to remove nutrients. In this study, living microalgae, Dunaliella salina was cultivated and then used in a series of batch experiments for the removal of nitrate and phosphate from wastewater.

Material and Methodology: The effect of changes in NO₃^- and PO₄^3- concentrations (2.5-13 mg/l) on the removal efficiency using D. salina was evaluated during the 12-day growth period in the laboratory of Offshore Fisheries Research Center, Chabahar, 2017.

Findings: Results indicated that the maximum nitrate and phosphate removal efficiency using D. salina were 51.5% and 93.4%, respectively. The range of initial nitrate and phosphate concentrations were 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10 and 12 mg/l and among them, the highest efficiency of nutrients removal after the control sample was obtained in 2.5 mg / l concentration of nitrate and phosphate. Phosphate removal efficiency was higher than nitrate at all concentrations and this shows that living microalgae D. salina has a good compatibility for growth in phosphate-contaminated wastewater. However, nitrate removal percentage is also significant and applicable to wastewater treatment systems. The Langmuir and Freundlich equilibrium models were also investigated in absorption process from solutions by living microalgae and the results of experiments were more consistent with Langmuir equilibrium model with R² levels of 0.87 and 0.56 for nitrate and phosphate, respectively.  

Discussion and Conclusion: The results of this investigation suggested that D. salina is suitable as a biosorbent material for recovery and biosorption of nitrate and phosphate ions from aqueous solutions and wastewaters.

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