Decolourization of chicken compost derived liquid fertilizer via synergic ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and ozonation for enhanced microalgae cultivation

¹ Chemical Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar 32610, Perak, Malaysia
² HICoE-Centre for Biofuel and Biochemical Research, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar 32610, Perak, Malaysia
³ Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kumamoto University, Japan
⁴ Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Curtin University, 98009, Sarawak, Malaysia

^* Corresponding author: lam.mankee@utp.edu.my

Abstract

Compost-derived liquid fertilizers are uncostly and nutrient-enriched; however, its dark brown appearance limits light uptake of microalgae during autotrophic cultivation. Here, integrated UV irradiation/ozonation pretreatment was employed to decolourize the compost solution prior to microalgae cultivation. Aforesaid pretreatment could accomplish 16.52 % (8 h) or 40.88 % (24 h) decolorization efficiency by using optimal parameters (initial pH of 12, ozone concentration of 30 mg/L, and ozone flow rate of 3 L/min. Compared to untreated compost solution, microalgae Chlorella vulgaris grew better in the medium supplemented with decolourized compost solution (after 24 h UV irradiation/ozonation). For the autotrophic cultivation of C. vulgaris with 10 vol.% compost solution, UV irradiation/ozonation pretreatment eventually increases the microalgae dry weight, specific growth rate, and biomass productivity from 0.58 g/L, 0.14 d^-1, and 0.040 g/(L·d) to 0.88 g/L, 0.19 d^-1, and 0.065 g/(L·d), respectively. Furthermore, the lipid content of microalgae has been increased by 33.33% with pretreatment of compost solution.