Analysis on decolorization of molasses distillery wastewater treatment using microalgae

• Project/Area Number: 17K12832
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Environmental engineering and reduction of environmental burden
• Research Institution: Ibaraki University
• Principal Investigator: Noguchi Mana 茨城大学, 農学部, 研究員 (30724207)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2022)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
• Keywords: 好酸性微細藻類 / 高有機物負荷耐性 / 微細藻類バイオマス / 廃糖蜜蒸留廃液 / 排水処理 / 着色除去 / 模擬廃糖蜜蒸留廃液 / 微細藻類 / 好酸性 / 分離株の確立 / 模擬廃糖蜜蒸留廃水 / 廃水処理 / 廃糖蜜蒸留廃水 / メラノイジン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

From samples collected from environmental water (e.g. discharge water from food processing plant, acidic hot spring), microalgae growth were observed in 82 samples. Within those samples, microalgae in 16 samples showed the tolerance to the digestive supernatant from a domestic wastewater treatment plant in Ishikawa prefecture.
Three isolated microalgae (Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorella emersonii, Parachlorella kessleri) were incubated in 10-times diluted simulated distillery wastewater (pH adjusted). Within three strains, Parachlorella kessleri showed the highest TOC and COD removal rate. In the second test, Chlorella vulgaris, Parachlorella kessleri, and Chlamydomonas eustigma were incubated in 10-times diluted simulated distillery wastewater (pH 3.0). Colorant (evaluated by Abs260) were 0.2-11.2%. The findings of this study showed the possibility of the microalgae application to the molasses distillery wastewater treatment.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

バイオエタノールの排水処理において排水基準を満たすためには嫌気的処理と何らかの二次処理を組み合わせる必要があるが，とくに後段の処理を導入することでエネルギー・コストが高まる．本研究で獲得した複数の新たな高有機物負荷・低pHに耐性のある微細藻類を利用することで，将来的には生物処理で最もエネルギー・コストのかかる曝気を省略または削減できる可能性を示している．今後獲得した微細藻類に対しより詳しい解析を進めていくことでバイオエタノール廃水のより効率的な排水処理プロセスの実現が期待される．

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Application of real treated wastewater to starch production by microalgae: potential effect of nutrients and microbial contamination (2021)
  • Author(s): Mana Noguchi, Ryo Aizawa, Daisuke Nakazawa, Yoshiki Hakumura, Yasuhiro Furuhashi, Sen Yang, Kazuaki Ninomiya, Kenji Takahashi, Ryo Honda
  • Journal Title: Biochemical Engineering Journal Volume: 169 Pages: 107973-107973
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.bej.2021.107973
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Regulation of microbial contamination under starch production by microalgae using domestic treated wastewater (2022)
  • Author(s): Mana Noguchi, Ryo Aizawa, Daisuke Nakazawa, Yoshiki Hakumura, Yasuhiro Furuhashi, Sen Yang, Kazuaki Ninomiya, Kenji Takahashi, Ryo Honda
  • Organizer: Wastetwater, Water, and Resource Recovery Conference 2022
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 微細藻類を用いたバイオエタノール廃水処理の検討 (2020)
  • Author(s): 野口 愛, 古橋 康弘, Htet April N. N., 本多 了
  • Organizer: 第54回日本水環境学会年会
• [Presentation] Treatment of synthetic distillery wastewater using acidophilic microalgae strains (2019)
  • Author(s): M. Noguchi, Y. Furuhashi, A.N.N. Htet, R. Honda
  • Organizer: 8th IWA Microbial Ecology and Water Engineering Specialist Conference
  • Int'l Joint Research