Photosynthetic conversion of carbon dioxide from cement production to microalgae biomass

Production of microalgae is a potential technology for capturing and recycling carbon dioxide from cement kiln emissions. In this study, a process of selecting a suitable strain that would effectively utilize carbon dioxide and generate biomass was investigated. A down-selection screening method was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied microbiology and biotechnology 2023-12, Vol.107 (23), p.7375-7390
Main Authors: Dickinson, Kathryn E., Stemmler, Kevin, Bermarija, Tessa, Tibbetts, Sean M., MacQuarrie, Scott P., Bhatti, Shabana, Kozera, Catherine, O’Leary, Stephen J.B., McGinn, Patrick J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algae
Aquatic microorganisms
Bioenergy and Biofuels
Biomass
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Bioreactors
Biotechnology
Carbohydrate composition
Carbohydrates
Carbon dioxide
Cement
Chemostats
Chlorella
Chlorella sorokiniana
Emissions
Flue gas
Gases
Heavy metals
Kilns
Life Sciences
Lipids
Microalgae
Microbial Genetics and Genomics
Microbiology
Protein composition
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Summary:Production of microalgae is a potential technology for capturing and recycling carbon dioxide from cement kiln emissions. In this study, a process of selecting a suitable strain that would effectively utilize carbon dioxide and generate biomass was investigated. A down-selection screening method was applied to 28 strains isolated from the area surrounding a commercial cement plant. In laboratory-scale (1 L) continuous-mode chemostats, observed productivity was > 0.9 g L −1 d −1 for most strains studied. Chlorella sorokiniana (strain SMC-14M) appeared to be the most tolerant to cement kiln gas emissions in situ, delivered under control of a pH-stat system, and was down-selected to further investigate growth and biomass production at large-scale (1000 L) cultivation. Results demonstrated little variability in lipid, crude protein, and carbohydrate composition throughout growth between kiln-gas grown algal biomass and biomass produced with laboratory grade CO 2 . The growth rate at which the maximum quantity of CO 2 from the emissions is recycled also produced the maximum amount of the targeted biomass components to increase commercial value of the biomass. An accumulation of some heavy metals throughout its growth demonstrates the necessity to monitor the biomass cultivated with industrial flue gases and to carefully consider the potential applications for this biomass; despite its other attractive nutritional properties. Key points • Studied high biomass producing algal strains grown on CO 2 from cement flue gas. • Chlorella sorokiniana SMC-14M grew well at large scale, in situ on cement flue gas. • Demonstrated the resulting commercial potential of the cultured algal biomass.
ISSN:0175-7598
1432-0614
DOI:10.1007/s00253-023-12769-w