Biological Carbon Capture, Growth Kinetics and Biomass Composition of Novel Microalgal Species /

Abstract

Carbon sequestration is an important approach for reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. Carbon sequestration, unlike carbon emission reduction, allows for the reduction or avoidance of CO2 emissions by capturing CO2 from large stationary sources and using it for energy production. Biological carbon sequestration or biomitigation via microalgal methods is a potential and sustainable replacement to conventional carbon mitigation strategies. Microalgae are a diverse group of rapidly growing microorganisms that can perform photo-autotrophy, heterotrophy, and mixotrophy. They have a 10–50 times greater CO2 fixation capacity as compared to the terrestrial plants and may be grown on non-fertile land. The goal of this research is to see how effectively novel Dictyosphaerium species fix CO2, as well as to evaluate their growth kinetics and biomass characterization. Both microalgal strains were supplied with 0.04 %, 2%, 4% carbon dioxide concentration in two various sorts of photobioreactors (Lab-scale photobioreactor and Multi-Cultivator). Results revealed that the growth parameters for both the microalgal strains substantially increased when supplied with 4% CO2 compared to those provided with 0.04 % and 2% CO2 in either type of Photobioreactor. Maximum growth was observed in Dictyosphaerium DHM1 when it was grown in 4% carbon dioxide in the Multi-Cultivator with 2.802 g L , and Pmax = 0.2 g L−1. Furthermore, food, fine chemicals, forage and biofuels made from microalgal biomass can boost the advantages of microalgal-based carbon dioxide fixation even more.