Enhancement of microalgal biomass production and dissolved inorganic C fixation from actual coal flue gas by exogenous salicylic acid and 1-triacontanol growth promoters

Microalgae based bioenergy is a remarkable topic in renewable energy studies. Capturing and utilization of CO2 from actual coal emissions by bio-stimulated Chlorella sp. for energy conversion was investigated by enhancement of its growth and resistance to the stressful conditions by exogenous salicylic acid and 1-triacontanol growth promoters. The pH, flue gas flow rates, photoperiod and chlorophyll (a + b) concentrations were systematically studied. Actual coal combustion emissions were produced in a lab-scale combustor system. The increasing flue gas flow rates were examined from 2.4 vvm to 4.8 vvm and the highest biomass rates were obtained in the presence of highly toxic levels of coal emissions. Different photoperiod regimes were tested for flue gas utilization by autotrophic cultivation under flue gas stress. Chlorella sp. produced 0.86 g/L biomass at 2.4 vvm flow rate at 24:0 light:dark photoperiod. Chlorophyll (a + b) concentration was 1.054 μg/mL, Pmax was 0.047 g/L/d and μ was 0.112/d at these conditions. The study proved to be beneficial in understanding microalgae flue gas utilization process with growth stimulators in order to provide biomass production strategies.