Microalgal Cultivation Characteristics Using Commercially Available Air-cushion Packaging Material as a Photobioreactor

Authors

Clifford R. Merz, University of South FloridaFollow
Neha Arora, University of South FloridaFollow
Michael Welch, University of South Florida
Enlin Lo, University of South Florida
George P. Philippidis, University of South FloridaFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2023

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30080-6

Abstract

Air-cushion (AC) packaging has become widely used worldwide. ACs are air-filled, dual plastic packaging solutions commonly found surrounding and protecting items of value within shipping enclosures during transit. Herein, we report on a laboratory assessment employing ACs as a microalgal photobioreactor (PBR). Such a PBR inherently addresses many of the operational issues typically encountered with open raceway ponds and closed photobioreactors, such as evaporative water loss, external contamination, and predation. Using half-filled ACs, the performance of microalgal species Chlorella vulgaris, Nannochloropsis oculata, and Cyclotella cryptica (diatom) was examined and the ash-free dry cell weight and overall biomass productivity determined to be 2.39 g/L and 298.55 mg/L/day for N. oculata, 0.85 g/L and 141.36 mg/L/day for C. vulgaris, and 0.67 g/L and 96.08 mg/L/day for C. cryptica. Furthermore, maximum lipid productivity of 25.54 mg/L/day AFDCW and carbohydrate productivity of 53.69 mg/L/day AFDCW were achieved by C. cryptica, while maximum protein productivity of 247.42 mg/L/day AFDCW was attained by N. oculata. Data from this work will be useful in determining the applicability and life-cycle profile of repurposed and reused ACs as potential microalgal photobioreactors depending upon the end product of interest, scale utilized, and production costs.

Rights Information

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

Yes

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Scientific Reports, v. 13, art. 3792

Scholar Commons Citation

Merz, Clifford R.; Arora, Neha; Welch, Michael; Lo, Enlin; and Philippidis, George P., "Microalgal Cultivation Characteristics Using Commercially Available Air-cushion Packaging Material as a Photobioreactor" (2023). Marine Science Faculty Publications. 2586.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/2586