Phycoremediation of phenolic effluent of a coal gasification plant by Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Batch experiments were carried out to investigate the degradation effect of Chlorella pyrenoidosa (KX686118) on the phenolic effluent of a coal gasification (CG) plant. The major pollutant present in the effluent is phenol (C6H5OH). The effect of C. pyrenoidosa on phenol degradation was analyzed by inoculating 1 g of wet biomass into four different phenolic effluent concentrations viz. 20, 40, 60 and 80% i.e. the total phenols concentration of 282 ± 1, 564 ± 1.5, 846 ± 2.2 and 1128 ± 2 mg L−1 respectively. The experiments were performed under ambient temperature of 30 ± 5 °C at pH 8.0. The results indicated that 1 g of wet biomass per Liter of effluent could degrade more than 90% of phenol and other contaminants, for effluent concentrations up to 60%. Bio kinetic coefficients viz., k-reaction rate constant and Km-half-saturation constant were determined using Michaelis-Menten rate expression and found as k = 50 mg of phenol g−1(algae) day−1, Km = 347 mg L−1. The highest carbon fixation rate of 0.25 g L−1 day−1 was obtained with a 60% effluent concentration.