Carbon Limitation in Periphytic Algal Wastewater Treatment Systems
type: CreativeWork
description: As global eutrophication poses an ever increasing threat to water quality new techniques must be implemented to improve the sustainability of natural resource consumption. Wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) are designed to destroy pathogens, remove particulates, lower oxygen demanding substances, and reduce nutrients from influent waste water to avoid the degradation of receiving waters. WWTF are generally effective, however they are mostly inadequate at removing nutrients. When wastewater derived nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate are discharged to receiving waters, they stimulate algal blooms. Algal blooms can reduce dissolved oxygen, block sunlight for submerged aquatic plants, and render state waters unusable for recreational activities; these issues can negatively impact ecological systems and local economies. One experimental approach to reducing nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater effluent uses algae as a tertiary treatment system. Algae are photosynthetic organisms that not only remove nutrients from wastewater, but they produce biomass for biofuels. Research is needed to increase the productivity of algae in tertiary treatment systems to make WWTF more ecologically sustainable and economically viable. Because algae in tertiary wastewater treatment systems are typically not limited by nutrients, the algae may become limited by dissolved inorganic carbon. To test this hypothesis, this study characterized the effects of adding carbon dioxide to lab scale, recirculating wastewater algal treatment floways. Eight 61 cm x 121 cm x 5.1 cm (height x length x diameter) recirculating floways, lined with unglazed clay tiles were administered gaseous carbon dioxide for 18 days while eight more were left untreated as controls. The floways, which were administered carbon dioxide, had a 41% greater algal dry mass, and 43% greater ash free dry mass compared to controls. By day 18 phosphate and total phosphorus concentrations in treated floways averaged 67% and 39…
abstract: As global eutrophication poses an ever increasing threat to water quality new techniques must be implemented to improve the sustainability of natural resource consumption. Wastewater treatment facilities (WWTF) are designed to destroy pathogens, remove particulates, lower oxygen demanding substances, and reduce nutrients from influent waste water to avoid the degradation of receiving waters. WWTF are generally effective, however they are mostly inadequate at removing nutrients. When wastewater derived nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate are discharged to receiving waters, they stimulate algal blooms. Algal blooms can reduce dissolved oxygen, block sunlight for submerged aquatic plants, and render state waters unusable for recreational activities; these issues can negatively impact ecological systems and local economies. One experimental approach to reducing nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater effluent uses algae as a tertiary treatment system. Algae are photosynthetic organisms that not only remove nutrients from wastewater, but they produce biomass for biofuels. Research is needed to increase the productivity of algae in tertiary treatment systems to make WWTF more ecologically sustainable and economically viable. Because algae in tertiary wastewater treatment systems are typically not limited by nutrients, the algae may become limited by dissolved inorganic carbon. To test this hypothesis, this study characterized the effects of adding carbon dioxide to lab scale, recirculating wastewater algal treatment floways. Eight 61 cm x 121 cm x 5.1 cm (height x length x diameter) recirculating floways, lined with unglazed clay tiles were administered gaseous carbon dioxide for 18 days while eight more were left untreated as controls. The floways, which were administered carbon dioxide, had a 41% greater algal dry mass, and 43% greater ash free dry mass compared to controls. By day 18 phosphate and total phosphorus concentrations in treated floways averaged 67% and 39…
author: Furnish, Brandon J.
language: English
keywords: Carbon Limitation, Periphytic Algal Wastewater, Treatment Systems, Waster Water Treatment Facilities (WWTF), Algal Blooms, Environmental Sciences, Natural Resources and Conservation, Natural Resources Management and Policy
date published: 2018-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:45:01Z
provider: Columbus State University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Columbus State University