Evaluation of Spirulina platensis for organic load reduction and water quality improvement in wastewater systems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59658/jkas.v13i1.5732Keywords:
Spirulina platensis, wastewater treatment, organic load, bioremediationAbstract
This paper discusses the performance of an integrated aerated photobioreactor system in treating organic waste for enhanced wastewater quality using Spirulina platensis. Photosynthetic operations of Spirulina shifted pH from 9.01 to 9.42. The wastewater treatment resulted in the removal of BOD₅ up to 82.08%, indicating that organic matter has been effectively removed. The wastewater treatment with Spirulina removed ammonia (98.57%), nitrate (87.99%), and phosphate (88.49%) at different rates within the first five days of operation. ORP increased from –120 to 201 mV, indicating better oxidative conditions. Biomass concentration increased gradually until the fourth day, depicting efficient nutrient assimilation. Treated wastewater quality parameters reached levels that allowed agricultural water reuse for crop irrigation in areas facing water shortage. Harvested algal biomass contains nutrients and organic matter; it acts as a biofertilizer for the improvement of soil fertility toward sustainable crop production. These findings confirm that Spirulina platensis represents an environmentally sustainable option for wastewater treatment and reuse—particularly in hot and semi-arid regions—while simultaneously generating valuable algal biomass.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Copyright (c) 2024 is the Author's article. Published by the Journal of Kerbala for Agricultural Sciences under a CC BY 4.0 license
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