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Bioremediation of drainwater from soilless cultivation by Tetradesmus obliquus and Raphidonema monicae: growth performance and biochemical composition from lab to industrial scale

2026-01Journal article Open access
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dc.contributor.authorMaia, Inês Beatriz
dc.contributor.authorPinto, Bruno
dc.contributor.authorCarneiro, Mariana
dc.contributor.authorKonucu, Merve
dc.contributor.authorSchulze, Peter S.C.
dc.contributor.authorSantos, Tamara
dc.contributor.authorRodrigues, Alexandre M.C.
dc.contributor.authorEsteves Lopes Navalho, João Carlos
dc.contributor.authorCosta, Monya
dc.contributor.authorPereira, Hugo
dc.contributor.authorVarela, João
dc.date.accessioned2026-01-04T15:28:17Z
dc.date.available2026-01-04T15:28:17Z
dc.date.issued2026-01
dc.description.abstractTo meet the demands of the growing population, agricultural practices have been increasing and putting a strain on land and freshwater usage. Soilless agriculture has emerged as a more sustainable practice to mitigate this issue but still generates nutrient-rich drainwater that can harm the environment if not properly managed. In this context, this study explores a circular economy approach to reuse the drainwater of soilless farming as a culture medium for microalgae production. For this, the growth performance of four strains, Chlorella sp., Nannochloropsis limnetica, Raphidonema monicae and Tetradesmus obliquus, was assessed using drainwater under summer and winter conditions at lab-scale. Based on productivity, protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) contents, T. obliquus and R. monicae were selected for comparison in pilot-scale flat-panel photobioreactors (FP-PBR) and raceway ponds (RW). T. obliquus presented significantly higher growth in FP-PBR (0.11 g L-1 d(-1)) compared to RW (0.09 g L-1 d(-1)), with complete nitrate removal in both systems. R. monicae showed similar growth across systems, removing 19 % of nitrate in FP-PBR and 56 % in RW. Principal component analysis indicated species-specific traits drive biochemical profiles, with limited influence from the cultivation system. Both species were cultivated in 19-m(3) tubular photobioreactors, with improved productivities (T. obliquus with 0.23 g L-1 d(-1) and R. monicae with 0.13 g L-1 d(-1)) until stationary phase or legal nitrate limits, yielding about 20 kg of dry weight each. The biomass produced in drainwater was biochemically characterized, showing it was rich in proteins (>30 %), PUFA (>55 %) and phenolics, highlighting their potential application in various sectors, including aquaculture and agriculture. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of these strains for drainwater treatment, promoting a circular economy by converting waste into valuable biomass.eng
dc.description.sponsorshipFundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT) 99/2023.02764 EEA Grant ALGACYCLE-PT-INNOVATION-0023 C644915664-00000026
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.algal.2025.104468
dc.identifier.issn2211-9264
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/28032
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.relation.ispartofAlgal Research
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subjectMicroalgae
dc.subjectBioremediation
dc.subjectIndustrial scale
dc.subjectSoilless cultivation
dc.subjectDrainwater
dc.titleBioremediation of drainwater from soilless cultivation by Tetradesmus obliquus and Raphidonema monicae: growth performance and biochemical composition from lab to industrial scaleeng
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.titleAlgal Research
oaire.citation.volume93
oaire.versionhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
person.familyNameMaia
person.familyNameSchulze
person.familyNameSantos
person.familyNameEsteves Lopes Navalho
person.familyNameCosta
person.familyNamePereira
person.familyNameVarela
person.givenNameInês Beatriz
person.givenNamePeter S.C.
person.givenNameTamara
person.givenNameJoão Carlos
person.givenNameMonya
person.givenNameHugo
person.givenNameJoão
person.identifier282781
person.identifier.ciencia-idE017-3A05-FF0A
person.identifier.ciencia-idF41E-3B55-577C
person.identifier.ciencia-id4A17-EDF9-0BC3
person.identifier.ciencia-id331E-84FD-2F34
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-7509-2216
person.identifier.orcid0000-0003-3777-8732
person.identifier.orcid0000-0001-9008-4436
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-4236-9063
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-1369-2099
person.identifier.orcid0000-0003-3101-693X
person.identifier.ridE-9360-2015
person.identifier.ridM-4223-2013
person.identifier.scopus-author-id56244247100
person.identifier.scopus-author-id8094380800
person.identifier.scopus-author-id54080259900
person.identifier.scopus-author-id55741416000
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