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Pigments extraction of treated hybrid microalgae-activated sludge
Abstract
Microalgae have the ability to grow in wastewater, remove heavy metal ions and pollutants, and can be used to produce renewable energy alternatives such as biofuels, biogas, biomethane and biohydrogen. Algae can also produce high-value non-energy pigments such as chlorophylls and carotenoids that are used in feeds, colorants, textiles, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries. Methanol extraction method was employed to extract the pigments from microalgal specie Chlorella vulgaris spectrophotometrically after bioremediation of synthetic tannery wastewater (STWW) in stirred-tank photobioreactors (STPBRs) operated at about 580 μmol.m-2.s-1 and 100 rpm for 12:12 light-dark cycles. The maximum Chl a, Chl b, total carotenoids and total pigments were determined to be 35.5091, 8.6315, 1.9521 and 41.850 μg/L, respectively and highest content increment of 66.91, 66.97, 69.11 and 69.38% in reactor A, B, C and D, respectively, was achieved during the bioremediation process.