Effect of combining adsorption-stripping treatment with acidification on the growth of Chlorella vulgaris and nutrient removal from swine wastewater

After swine wastewater (SW) was treated with adsorption-stripping stage, the concentration of NH4+-N and Total phosphorus (TP) in SW significantly decreased from 598.04, 42.95 to 338.02, 8.36 mg L−1, respectively. The concentration of heavy metals, especially Zn2+ (96.78%), decreased by the ion exchange of artificial zeolite (AZ). The acidification of SW could significantly improve the nutrient utilization efficiency and promote the growth rate of C. vulgaris due to the hydrolysis of macromolecular substances into smaller molecules usable for algae. By combining adsorption (Part I), stripping (Part II) and cultivation (Part III), the highest removal rates of NH4+-N, TP, chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) from SW were 80.50, 96.90, 72.91, and 84.17%, respectively, and the OD680 value was 1.129 (1.48 times of control) at pH 6.0. The combined system (Part I-III) can significantly enhance the removal efficiency of nutrient and biomass production by acidification.