Isolation and application of SO sub(X and NO) sub(X) resistant microalgae in biofixation of CO sub(2 from thermoelectricity plants)

Microalgae have been studied for their potential use in foodstuffs, agriculture, in the treatment of wastewater and, in particular, in the reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the main cause of global warming. Thermoelectricity plants account for 22% of CO sub(2 emitted into the atmosphere and native microalgae may be more tolerant to the gases emitted from burning fossil fuels. In the study presented here, microalgae were isolated from ponds next to a Thermoelectricity Plant, located in southern Brazil, and identified as Synechococcus nidulans and Chlorella vulgaris. The isolated microalgae were grown and compared with two different strains of microalgae, Spirulina sp. and Scenedesmus obliquus, for CO) sub(2) biofixation. The microalgae were exposed to 12% CO sub(2, 60 ppm of SO) sub(2) and 100 ppm of NO, simulating a gas from coal combustion. The C. vulgaris had similar behavior to Spirulina sp., with 13.43% of maximum daily fixation. The microalgae with the greater fixing capacity were C. vulgaris and Spirulina sp. and these can be grown in electric power plants for CO sub(2 biofixation of the coal combustion gas, which would help reduce global warming.)