Biomass production and nitrogen and phosphorus removal by the green alga Neochloris oleoabundans in simulated wastewater and secondary municipal wastewater effluent

Biomass productivity of 350 mg DCW L−1 day−1 with a final biomass concentration of 3.15 g DCW L−1 was obtained with Neochloris oleoabundans grown in artificial wastewater at sodium nitrate and phosphate concentrations of 140 and 47 mg L−1, respectively, with undetectable levels of residual N and P in effluents. In secondary municipal wastewater effluents enriched with 70 mg N L−1, the alga achieved a final biomass concentration of 2.1 g DCW L−1 and a biomass productivity of 233.3 mg DCW L−1 day−1. While N removal was very sensitive to N:P ratio, P removal was independent of N:P ratio in the tested range. These results indicate that N. oleoabundans could potentially be employed for combined biofuel production and wastewater treatment.