Removal of nutrients from Organic Liquid Agricultural Waste using flamentous algae

A study is presented which explores the removal of nutrients from Organic Liquid Agricultural Waste using filamentous algae. The study demonstrates that filamentous algae reduces the nutrient load of nitrate and phosphate from the organic waste effluents coming from dairy farms after nine days of culture, with the added advantage being that after the treatment period, algae removal can be achieved by simple procedures. Currently, the organic wastewater is discarded into fields and local streams. However, the algae can acquire value as a by-product since it has various uses as compost, cellulose, and biogas. A disadvantage of this system is that clean water must be used to achieve enough water transparency to allow algae growth. Even so, the nutrient reduction system of the organic effluents proposed is friendly to the ecosystem, compared to tertiary treatments that use chemicals to precipitate and collect nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates.