MERCon - 2021

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://192.248.9.226/handle/123/18493

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Browsing MERCon - 2021 by Author "Ariyadasa, TU"

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    Investigation of the effect of solar irradiation and temperature on h. pluvialis production in photobioreactors under outdoor cultivation in Sri Lanka
    (IEEE, 2021-07) Perera, M; Muthunayaka, K; Madushanka, D; Liyanaarachchi, VC; Premaratne, M; Ariyadasa, TU; Adhikariwatte, W; Rathnayake, M; Hemachandra, K
    The complicated and varying weather conditions and contamination from fungi, protozoa, and bacteria are major problems associated with outdoor microalgae cultivation. In this study, outdoor microalgae cultivation was investigated in a 3.2 L vertical tubular photobioreactor in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. During December, when both the solar irradiation and temperature were high, the water spray system in combination with two agro shading nets (each with a shading rate of 40-50%) could effectively reduce the temperature to 2±2 0C and control solar irradiation below 13500 lux. Under an initial biomass density of 0.2875 g/L and an atmospheric air flow rate of 1 vvm, Haematococcus pluvialis showcased a maximum biomass accumulation of 0.45 g/L and the maximum productivity of 20 mg/L/day. In addition, the reactor system and its design exhibited good performance, implying a potential scale-up opportunity. However, operation under outdoor conditions showed slightly poorer performance due to the light inhibition effect.
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    Sustainable cultivation of haematococcus pluvialis for the production of natural astaxanthin
    (IEEE, 2021-07) Nishshanka, SH; Liyanaarachchi, VC; Premaratne, M; Ariyadasa, TU; Nimarshana, V; Adhikariwatte, W; Rathnayake, M; Hemachandra, K
    Haematococcus pluvialis is a microalga with the ability to accumulate high quantities of astaxanthin. However, the large freshwater footprint and the requirement of external nutrient supply are issues in its commercial-scale cultivation. In the present study, synthetic dairy wastewater was employed as an alternative culture media for H. pluvialis under varying light intensities to determine the best lighting conditions for biomass and astaxanthin accumulation. The highest biomass concentration ( 1.359±0.013 g/L ) and astaxanthin concentration ( 20.783±0.105 mg/L ) was achieved in the culture supplied with 3250 lux light intensity during the growth stage. Nevertheless, the highest specific growth rate ( 0.0625±0.000 /day) and cellular astaxanthin content (1.696±0.007%) were observed in the culture supplied with 4000 lux during the growth phase. It was also observed that the total lipid content of cultures did not vary significantly with light intensity. Moreover, it was observed that total lipid content of residual H. pluvialis decreased significantly after astaxanthin extraction. Nonetheless, H. pluvialis showcased considerable potential of nutrient removal efficiency, achieving over 90% reduction of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP). Thus, it could be speculated that cultivation of H. pluvialis under moderate light intensities could yield astaxanthin and lipid-rich biomass simultaneous to phycoremediation.