The phosphorus content in eel aquaculture wastewater exceeds the discharge standard, which has a negative impact on the surrounding water environment. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore an economical and efficient method of treating aquaculture wastewater. This study explored the use of Desmodesmus sp. PW1, a type of microalgae with self-flocculating ability and high phosphorus removal efficiency, which can achieve a high total phosphorus (TP) removal efficiency, as well as total nitrogen (TN) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) removal efficiency of 99%. In a semi-continuous treatment process mode with a renewal rate of 90%, the microalgae biomass in the sewage treatment system could be maintained between 160.0 and 220.0 mg/L, and the average removal rate of TP was 0.13 mg/(L * h). The lipid content of algae cells collected in the semi-continuous treatment system for eel aquaculture wastewater was as high as 36.5%, with oleic acid, palmitoleic acid and linoleic acid as main fatty acids, and the biodiesel properties met the biodiesel standards authorized by Europe (EN 14214) and the United States (ASTM D6751-08). Overall, this study provides an economical and effective strategy for the treatment of eel aquaculture wastewater with the self-flocculating microalgae Desmodesmus sp. PW1. Also, the synthesized oil has the potential to be developed into renewable biodiesel, which lays the foundation for converting wastewater into high-value microalgae products. Prof. Wang Mingzi's research team has achieved breakthroughs in treating eel aquaculture wastewater. The research, entitled “A semi-continuous efficient strategy for removing phosphorus and nitrogen from eel aquaculture wastewater using the self-flocculating microalga Desmodesmus sp. PW1”, was published in the world-renowned journal Journal of Environmental Management.
FNU is the first organization of the paper, with Prof. Wang Mingzi as the corresponding author, Zheng Minfu, an associate professor of FNU and Li Huixian, a graduate student of FNU, as the co-first author, and Guo Xu and Prof. Chen Bilian as the co-authors. The research was supported by the Program of Fujian Provincial Department of Science and Technology and the Program of Fuzhou Municipal Bureau of Science and Technology.
Paper link: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1hlo314Z6tp2Lr
(Translated by Zou Chenxin/ Reviewed by Xie Xiujuan)