Chapters authored
Viable Alternatives Study for Reusing Lipids from Microalgae Biomass Present in the Generated Sludge in the Supply Water Treatment Processes
This chapter aims to evaluate the microalgae species’ removal efficiency, using Moringa oleifera powder seeds as a natural coagulant with subsequent lipid profile characterization. For the tests were used deionized water artificially contaminated with cell cultures of Anabaena flos-aquae and Chlorella vulgaris, with a cell density in the order of 104 and 106 cells mL–1, respectively. Coagulation/flocculation/dissolved air flotation (C/F/DAF) tests were conducted using ‘Flotest’ equipment, using M. oleifera powder seeds in the dosage range of 50–1000 mg L−1. For fatty acid profile analyses, a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector was used. Variations of the coagulant dosages showed that there was a difference between dosages and that 100 mg L–1 provided the best removal efficiency for A. flos-aquae (96.5, 80.5 and 78.1%) and 140 mg L−1 for C. vulgaris (90.5, 78.34 and 70%) of the tested parameters of chlorophyll, color and turbidity, respectively. In relation to the produced sludge, it was observed that the use of this coagulant in the treatment of water contaminated with microalgae produces a biodegradable sludge, rich in lipids, especially oleic acid (>60%). Thus, these results indicate that the sludge’s reutilization could be a good alternative to biodiesel production, as it represents an environmentally viable method for reusing residual biomass produced in the water treatment process.
Part of the book: Fatty Acids