Cultivation of Spirulina platensis Using Pig Wastewater in a Semi-Continuous Process

The effluent from anaerobic digestion contains organic nitrogen and phosphorus, which are both required for growth of Spirulina platensis. Effluent (20%) from the up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) from a pig farm, supplemented with 4.5 g/l sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) and 0.2 g/l urea fertilizer (46:0:0, N:P:K), was found to be not only a suitable medium for the growth of Spirulina platensis but also a low-cost alternative. Cost calculation showed that this medium is 4.4 times cheaper than modifized Zarrouk's medium. The average productivities of a semi-continuous culture grown under outdoor conditions in a 6-l scale and a 100-l pilot scale were 19.9 g/㎡/d and 12 g/㎡/d, respectively. In addition, the biomass of organisms grown in UASB effluent contained approximately 57.9% protein, 1.12% γ-linolenic acid, and 19.5% phycocyanin. The average rates of bicarbonate, total nitrogen, and phosphorus removal were 380 mg/l/d, 34 mg/l/d, and 4 mg/l/d, respectively.