Responses of microalgae Coelastrella sp. to stress of cupric ions in treatment of anaerobically digested swine wastewater

Microalgae Coelastrella sp. could remove nutrients from anaerobically digested swine wastewater (ADSW) effectively, while its responses to the stress of Cu(II) were not well understood. In this paper, nutrients removal and growth of Coelastrella sp. were investigated at the presence of Cu(II) in ADSW. Results showed ammonium nitrogen concentration in ADSW decreased with culturing duration, while increased with an increased Cu(II) concentration. Total phosphorous concentration decreased with time, while did not drop in 4 days at Cu(II) concentration ≥1.0 mg/L. Microalgal growth was inhibited at all the Cu(II) concentrations, and ceased in about 6-8 days at Cu(II) concentration ≥1.0 mg/L. With an increased Cu(II) concentration, the contents of chlorophyll a and proteins decreased, those of malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase, and ratios of octadecanoic acid (C18:0), hexadecanoic acid (C16:0) and octadecenoic acid (C18:1) to fatty acids in Coelastrella sp. increased, while octadecatrienoic acid (C18:3) gradually disappeared.