Bio-oil production and removal of organic load by microalga Scenedesmus sp. using culture medium contaminated with different sugars, cheese whey and whey permeate

• Scenedesmus sp was evaluated both for organic load removal and bio-oil production.
• Sugars glucose, lactose, fructose and galactose were studied.
• Cheese whey and whey permeate with different lactose concentrations were evaluated.
• Scenedesmus sp. can be used for organic load removal in effluents containing sugars.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the bio-oil production and the organic load removal using the microalga Scenedesmus sp. The cultivation was carried out in reactors with a total volume of 3 L and 0.7 vvm aeration, with illumination in photoperiods of 12 h light/12 h dark for 12 days. The following sugar concentrations were tested: 2.5, 5.0 and 10 g/L of glucose, lactose, fructose and galactose with 10% inoculum volume. After experiments were performed with cheese whey in natura and cheese whey permeate with different lactose concentrations (1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 5.0 g/L). In these experiments the inoculum concentrations were 10, 15, 20 and 30% (v/v). The results showed that this microalga was effective for the production of lipids when it was cultivated in medium with cheese whey in natura with 2.5 g/L of lactose and 20% inoculum (v/v). Using cheese whey in natura at the concentration of 3.5 g/L of lactose and 30% (v/v) of inoculum obtained 77.9% of TOC removal and 38.447 mg of TOC removed/mg oil produced. It was also observed that when there is increased production of bio-oil, there is less removal of organic matter. The addition of glucose, fructose or galactose in the medium did not enhance the production of bio-oil by Scenedesmus sp. when compared to lactose, but increased the organic matter removal.