Activated carbon and microfiltration in Reuse of Arthrospira platensis cultivation medium

• Grant number: 15/20900-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date until: January 01, 2016
• End date until: June 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: João Carlos Monteiro de Carvalho
• Grantee: Allan Eiji Tanaka
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis has a high content of proteins (50-70%), polyunsaturated fatty acids, natural pigments and other important substances for food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. There are several studies that evaluate this microorganism growth using diverses types of processes in photobioreactors with a number of different nitrogen sources. However there are few informations in literature evaluating methodologies for the treatment of the spent growth medium. The reutilization of the spent growth medium reduces costs with nutrients and environmental pollution, since the spent medium disposal could cause soil salinization and water eutrophication. This project will evaluate the combination of adsorption with granulated activated carbon followed by microfiltration for the treatment of spent growth medium obtained from the culture of A. platensis in tubular photobioreactor using urea as nitrogen source. The parameters maximum cellular concentration, cellular productivity and conversion factor between nitrogen and cells, as well as biomass composition is going to be studied to evaluate the growth conditions and biomass properties produced in the reused media.