Universität zu Köln

Piltz, Bastian and Melkonian, Michael (2018). Immobilized microalgae for nutrient recovery from source-separated human urine. J. Appl. Phycol., 30 (1). S. 421 - 430. DORDRECHT: SPRINGER. ISSN 1573-5176

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

Shortages in nutrients and freshwater for a growing population are critical global issues. Source separation of waste streams combined with decentralized resource recovery is a promising approach to address this problem. Urine contains within 1% of household wastewater up to 80% of nitrogen (N) and 50% of phosphorus (P). Since microalgae are efficient at nutrient uptake, growing them in urine is a promising technology to clean urine and produce biomass as fertilizer. The aim of this study was to develop a process for nutrient recovery from minimally diluted human urine using immobilized cultivation of microalgae on porous substrate photobioreactors (PSBRs). Treatment of urine, unamended except for a 1:1 dilution with tap water, was performed with the green alga Desmodesmus abundans, chosen among 96 algal strains derived from urine-specific enrichments and culture collections. A growth rate of 7.2 g dry weight m(-2) day(-1) and removal efficiencies for N and P of 13.1 and 94.1% were determined. Pre-treatment of urine with activated carbon was found to eliminate potentially detrimental effects of pharmaceuticals. In combination with other technologies, PSBRs could be applied in decentralized resource recovery systems, helping to close the link between sanitation and food production.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Piltz, Bastian UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Melkonian, Michael UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-197201
DOI:	10.1007/s10811-017-1266-4
Journal or Publication Title:	J. Appl. Phycol.
Volume:	30
Number:	1
Page Range:	S. 421 - 430
Date:	2018
Publisher:	SPRINGER
Place of Publication:	DORDRECHT
ISSN:	1573-5176
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language MUNICIPAL WASTE-WATER; STRUVITE CRYSTALLIZATION; ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUGS; BIOMASS PRODUCTION; ALGAL BIOMASS; REMOVAL; PHOSPHORUS; NITROGEN; CULTIVATION; SYSTEM Multiple languages Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology; Marine & Freshwater Biology Multiple languages
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/19720