International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering

Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 3, March 2014)

Comparative Study of Carbon Sequestration by Algae in

Domestic Sewage and Industrial Effluent
Balakumar K1, Sharpudin J2, Mubarak Basha H3, Mohammed Fareed H4
1,2
Assistant Professor, 3,4 Final year student, Department of Civil Engineering, C Abdul Hakeem College of
Engineering and Technology, Melvisharam, Vellore-632509, TamilNadu, India
Abstract— This study seeks to explain one of the methods TABLE 1
for carbon dioxide capture and sequestration, to reduce the LISTS OF GREEN HOUSE GASES:
greenhouse effect in sustainable manner. Out of several CO2
sequestration methods, biological method of CO2
sequestration is better because the process is less energy GAS FORMULA CONTRIBUTION
intensive. Algae are autotrophic micro-organisms capable of
converting CO2 into carbohydrates and lipids in the presence
of light by photosynthesis. In these study micro algae is Water
H2O 36-72%
cultivated for the treatment of domestic wastewater and vapour
carbon dioxide sequestration. The work is carried out at two
different stages i.e., wastewater treatment carbon dioxide Carbon
CO2 9-26%
sequestration and tannery effluent treatment with carbon dioxide
dioxide sequestration from CO2 gas. From the results we
concluded that the algae can be effectively used for the
treatment of wastewater when compared to treatment of Methane CH4 4-9%
tannery effluent. So, Algal photosynthetic reaction may hold
the key to reducing emission in both economically and Ozone O3 3-7%
environmentally sustainable manner. Renewable form of
energy can be produced from this algal biomass & many other III. MATERIALS AND METHODS SELECTION OF
useful products can also be produced. WASTEWATER
Keywords-Carbon dioxide, domestic wastewater, micro The domestic wastewater is collected from CAHCET
algae, renewable energy,tannery effluent. Sewage pond, Melvisharam. The sample is collected at the
inlet of the pond. The frequency of collection of fresh
I. INTRODUCTION domestic wastewater is once in month
The world today is heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Selection Of Industrial Effluent:
However, with increasing demand and limited supply of The tannery effluent is collected from Effluent treatment
these fuels, as well as social and environmental motives, plant near Ranipet. The sample is collected at the inlet of
there is an increasing drive towards renewable and reliable, Effluent treatment plant. The frequency of collection of
“clean” fuels. fresh tannery effluent is once in month.
The goal was to construct large-scale photo bioreactors
adjacent to coal-burning power plants, where CO2 from Selection Of Algal Inoculum:
flue gas would be diffused to enhance algae production. The algal inoculums used in this process are collected
from waste stabilization pond near CAHCET. The
II. GREEN HOUSE GAS EMISSION frequency of collection of fresh algal inoculums is once in
month.
A greenhouse gas (sometimes abbreviated GHG) is a gas
in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within Experimental Setup:
the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental The nutrient uptake and biomass growth of algae were
cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse studied under two stages. The removal of nutrient and
gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapour, carbon biomass production under the presence of CO2 gas in
dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. domestic wastewater (stage-I) and tannery effluent (stage-
When these gases are ranked by their direct contribution II) under batch systems at different dilution ratios as shown
to the greenhouse effect, the most important are, below.

807
 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 3, March 2014)
TABLE 2 The Ammonia nitrogen content is also considered as
Dilution ratios for biomass activity in Domestic sewage with CO 2 monitoring parameter after 20days of algal cultivation. In
sequestration:
batch reactor (1,2,3,4) containing domestic sewage
Ammonia nitrogen content were reduced from 68 mg/L to
Raw Algal Domestic Algal 15 mg/L, 72 mg/L to 19 mg/L, 81 mg/L to 33 mg/L, 94
Batch
Sewage Inoculum Sewage Inoculum mg/L to 41 mg/L, and about 77.94%, 73.6%, 59.2%,
Reactor
% % (Litres) (Litres) 56.38%, removal of Ammonia nitrogen is achieved.
The Ammonia nitrogen content is also considered as
01 80 20 1.6 0.4 monitoring parameter after 20days of algal cultivation. In
02 60 40 1.2 0.8 batch reactor (1,2,3,4) containing tannery effluent
03 40 20 0.8 1.2 Ammonia nitrogen content were reduced from 72 mg/L to
04 20 80 0.4 1.6 49 mg/L, 92 mg/L to 56 mg/L, 102 mg/L to 64 mg/L, 108
TABLE 3
mg/L to 69 mg/L, and about 31.94%, 39.13%, 37.25%,
Dilution ratios for biomass activity in Tannery effluent with CO 2 36.11%, removal of Ammonia nitrogen is achieved.
sequestration:
Phosphorous:
The Phosphorous content is also considered as
Tannery Algal Tannery Algal monitoring parameter after 20days of algal cultivation. In
Batch
Effluent Inoculum Effluent Inoculum batch reactor (1,2,3,4) containing domestic sewage
Reactor
% % (Litres) (Litres)
Phosphorous content were reduced from 63 mg/L to 10
mg/L, 65 mg/L to 12 mg/L, 68 mg/L to 18 mg/L, 73 mg/L
01 80 20 1.6 0.4
to 21 mg/L, and about 84.12%, 81.53%, 73.52%, 71.23%,
02 60 40 1.2 0.8
removal of Phosphorous is achieved.
03 40 20 0.8 1.2
04 20 80 0.4 1.6
The Phosphorous content is also considered as
monitoring parameter after 20days of algal cultivation. In
All Parameters Are Determined As Per APHO Manual batch reactor (1,2,3,4) containing tannery effluent
“STANDARD METHODS FOR EXAMINATION OF Phosphorous content were reduced from 85 mg/L to 43
WATER AND WASTEWATER” 21st Edition mg/L, 90 mg/L to 47 mg/L, 96 mg/L to 58 mg/L, 102 mg/L
to 59 mg/L, and about 49.41%, 47.77%, 39.58%, 42.15%,
IV. RESULT removal of Phosphorous is achieved.
The prominent content genera`s identified are Anabaena, TABLE 5
Diatoms, Hyalophacus, Monoraphidium, Navicula, BIOMASS WITH CO2 SEQUESTRATION:
Oscillatoria and Spirogyra.
Domestic Waste Water
Samples Units
AMMONIA NITROGEN: D1 D5 D 10 D 15 D20
TABLE 4
B1 mg/ L 63 44 31 20 10
BIOMASS WITH CO2 SEQUESTRATION B2 mg/ L 65 50 39 25 12
B3 mg/ L 68 53 41 30 18
Domestic waste Water
Samples Units B4 mg/ L 73 60 48 32 21
D1 D5 D 10 D 15 D20
Tannery Waste Water
B1 mg/ L 68 49 32 21 15 Samples Units
D1 D5 D 10 D 15 D20
B2 mg/ L 72 54 41 30 19
B1 mg/ L 85 75 65 55 43
B3 mg/ L 81 70 59 44 33
B2 mg/ L 90 80 69 58 47
B4 mg/ L 94 81 64 53 41
B3 mg/ L 96 84 71 62 58
Domestic waste Water
Samples Units B4 mg/ L 102 88 76 64 59
D1 D5 D 10 D 15 D20
B1 mg/ L 72 71 65 58 49
B2 mg/ L 72 72 72 72 72
B3 mg/ L 92 92 92 92 92
10
B4 mg/ L 102 102 102 102
2

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 International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering
Website: www.ijetae.com (ISSN 2250-2459, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal, Volume 4, Issue 3, March 2014)
V. CONCLUSION
From this study, the biomass is increased in the IV Batch
reactor, where the amount of the ammonia nitrogen and
Phosphorous level was decreased. This results shows
increase of algal growth in sewage, when compared to the
growth of algae in tannery effluent. From the above results,
the study shows the phosphorous and ammonia nitrogen are
the good promoters of Algal growth. Carbon dioxide
sequestration with wastewater treatment can effectively
produce the maximum biomass and this can be converted in
to biofuel. This will further reduces the green house gases
and thereby global warming will be avoided. For effective
production of biomass and carbon dioxide sequestration,
microalgae can be grown in closed photo bioreactors. This
will increase the removal efficiency of carbon dioxide and
organic substances present in the wastewater, as well as in
tannery effluent.
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