Cultivating and harvesting of marine alga Nannochloropsis oculata in local municipal wastewater for biodiesel

10% BAS, 20% BAS and 10% AAS, 20% AAS, 50% AAS, 70% AAS, 100% AAS effluent loadings were well adapted to used wastewater. Sufficient dry weights obtained (345-406 mg L−1) with growth rates 0.37-0.45 for aerated cultures. High TN and TP removals (∼74-90%) were achieved. Harvesting technique for grown cultures was also studied with natural sedimentation and pH induced flocculation. By alkalinity induced flocculation, at pH values of 10.50, high recovery of the cells (∼80%) achieved with high sedimentation rates in 10 min. The flocculation efficiencies decreased, sedimentation rates increased with the increase of the cell concentration.