Removal of Nutrients and Pesticides from Agricultural Runoff Using Microalgae and Cyanobacteria
2022
Castellanos-Estupiñan, Miguel A. | Carrillo-Botello, Astrid M. | Rozo-Granados, Linell S. | Becerra-Moreno, Dorance | García-Martínez, Janet B. | Urbina-Suarez, Néstor A. | López-Barrera, Germán L. | Barajas-Solano, Andrés F. | Bryan, Samantha J. | Zuorro, Antonio
The use of pesticides in agriculture has ensured the production of different crops. However, pesticides have become an emerging public health problem for Latin American countries due to their excessive use, inadequate application, toxic characteristics, and minimal residue control. The current project evaluates the ability of two strains of algae (Chlorella and Scenedesmus sp.) and one cyanobacteria (Hapalosyphon sp.) to remove excess pesticides and other nutrients present in runoff water from rice production. Different concentrations of wastewater and carbon sources (Na₂CO₃ and NaHCO₃) were evaluated. According to the results, all three strains can be grown in wastewater without dilution (100%), with a biomass concentration comparable to a synthetic medium. All three strains significantly reduced the concentration of NO₃ and PO₄ (95 and 85%, respectively), with no difference between Na₂CO₃ or NaHCO₃. Finally, Chlorella sp. obtained the highest removal efficiency of the pesticide (Chlorpyrifos), followed by Scenedesmus and Hapalosyphon sp. (100, 75, and 50%, respectively). This work shows that it is possible to use this type of waste as an alternative source of nutrients to obtain biomass and metabolites of interest, such as lipids and carbohydrates, to produce biofuels.
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