Sains Malaysiana 45(3)(2016): 467–476

Removal of Heavy Metals and Production of Bioethanol by Green Alga Scenedesmus obliquus Grown in Different Concentrations of Wastewater

(Penyingkiran Logam Berat dan Pengeluaran Bioetanol oleh Alga Hijau Scenedesmus obliquus Hidup dalam Pelbagai Kepekatan Air Sisa)

RAGAA A. HAMOUDA¹* DALIA S. YEHEIA¹, MERVAT H. HUSSEIN² & HANAFY A. HAMZAH¹

¹Microbial Biotechnology Department, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute

University of Sadat City, Egypt

²Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Egypt

Received: 05 July 2015/Accepted: 24 September 2015

ABSTRACT

Algae have recently received a lot of attention as a new biomass source for the production of renewable energy and an important bioremediation agent. This study was carried out to evaluate the potential of green algae Scenedesmus obliquus grow in different concentrations of wastewater and the improvement of cultivation conditions to produce biomass rich in sugar to produce bioethanol by fermentation processes. The highest sugar content of S. obliquus biomass was recorded for algae cultivated with 40 and 85% wastewater after 9 days under aeration condition with dark and light duration (44.5%). It was found that the highest removal efficiency of BOD and COD were 18% for S. obliquus grown under aeration condition. The highest ethanol efficiency of S. obliquus biomass hydrolysate was 20.33% at 4th day. The best condition of S. obliquus to grow efficiently was under aeration with light and dark durations, where it has high efficiency to remove heavy metals from wastewater in this condition.

Keywords: Bioethanol; culture condition; fermentation; heavy metals; Scenedesmus obliquus; wastewater treatments

ABSTRAK

Alga pada masa ini telah mendapat perhatian sebagai sumber biojisim baru untuk penghasilan tenaga boleh baharu dan sebagai agen penting biopemulihan. Penyelidikan ini dijalankan untuk menilai potensi alga hijau Scenedesmus obliquus membesar dalam pelbagai kepekatan air sisa dan dalam penambahbaikan keadaan penanaman untuk menghasilkan biojisim yang kaya dengan gula untuk menghasilkan bioetanol melalui proses penapaian. Kandungan gula tertinggi daripada biojisim S. obliquus direkodkan sebagai alga yang ditanam menggunakan 40 dan 85% air sisa selepas 9 hari di bawah keadaan pengudaraan dengan tempoh gelap dan terang (44.5%). Didapati bahawa kecekapan penyingkiran tertinggi BOD dan COD adalah 18% untuk S. obliquus membesar di bawah keadaan pengudaraan. Kecekapan tertinggi etanol hidrolisat biojisim S. obliquus adalah 20.33% pada hari ke-4. Keadaan terbaik untuk S. obliquus membesar dengan cekap adalah di bawah keadaan pengudaraan dengan tempoh terang dan gelap dan mempunyai kecekapan tinggi untuk membuang logam berat daripada buangan dalam keadaan.

Kata kunci: Bioetanol; keadaan budaya; logam berat; penapaian; rawatan air kumbahan; Scenedesmus obliquus

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*Corresponding author; email: ragaahom@yahoo.com