ALGAE CULTIVATION IN PBR FROM FISHERY WASTEWATER AND INDUSTRIAL CO2 FOR BIODIESEL AND FISH FEED PRODUCTION FINAL YEAR DESIGN PROJECT (FYDP)

Abstract

Fisheries in Pakistan need to be made more sustainable, due to improper wastewater management as well as lack of research in aquaculture, fish nutrition, & sustainable consumption. CO2 emissions from combustion processes in industries can be utilized more efficiently instead of being discharged into the atmosphere causing climate change. Furthermore, there is a need to mitigate the energy crisis of diminishing fossil fuel reserves through clean energy technologies. The solution for all these targeted challenges is a photobioreactor (PBR). The study's methodology involved cultivating microalgae in 9 L capacity PBR under three distinct operating systems. The initial system employed aeration with air and fishery wastewater obtained from the Capital Biofloc fish farm in the capital. In the subsequent two systems, Industrial CO2 and synthetic wastewater with and without organic carbon were introduced. Remarkably, the third operational system demonstrated exceptional efficiency in nutrient removal, specifically nitrate, phosphate, and ammonia. Additionally, this system exhibited higher algal growth and lipid production compared to the other setups. The microalgae generated from these systems were harnessed for lipid extraction. Subsequently, the residual algal biomass remaining after lipid extraction was examined to determine its protein content, essential to produce fish feed. The research analyses the feasibility of constructing a closed system which can produce microalgae for clean energy and fish feed using fish wastewater as well as treating wastewater simultaneously.