Eletroflotação não-convencional aplicada à separação e ruptura celular de microalgas: um avanço na viabilidade da geração de biodiesel

Abstract

Although all stages on the production of biodiesel from microalgae cells are essential, harvest and cell disruption biomass are particularly important, since the available technologies for this purpose present high cost, compromising energy recovery viability. This study aimed to develop a system that could combine separation of algal biomass from wastewater stabilization pond systems to cell disruption as an alternative of pretreatment to maximize total lipids extraction by the modified method of Bligh and Dyer, as well as perform a preliminary study of the phytoplankton for comparison of lipid content. A non-conventional electroflotation reactor was designed to operate in batch and continuous flow, using non-consumable electrodes and low electrical power. The proposed methodology was compared to traditional techniques used for cell disruption: autoclave, microwave and ultrasound. Six Wastewater Treatment Plant (WTP) with different pond configuration were selected for analysis of the dominant phytoplankton genera and lipid content. Biomass separation was achieved, with turbidity removal efficiency exceeding 70% in 20 minutes of operation with the batch reactor. Among the traditional pretreatment methods tested, the microwave showed the highest lipid yield (33.7 ± 5.3%), followed by autoclave (15.4 ± 2.26%) and ultrasound (13.3 ± 2.96%). For non-conventional electroflotation methodology, lipid yield was 24.8 ± 7.05%, which showed no statistical difference when compared to the microwave method. However, when energy cost was considered, non-conventional electroflotation presented a cost of 5.6 Wh.g-1, which was smaller than that obtained by the microwave method. The predominant microalgae genera in the analyzed effluents belonged to the classes Chlorophyceae, Cyanophyceae and Euglenophyceae. In a general quantitative analysis, the effluents from the analyzed ponds presented lipid yield between 8.5 and 34.6%. Effluents of the WTP Aquiraz and Tupã-Mirim achieved the highest lipid content (28.4 ± 6.3% and 23.1 ± 3.6%, respectively), with no statistical difference (p = 0.12). Effluents of the WTP Araturi and Tabapuá achieved the lowest lipidic potential, with no statistical difference (14.3 ± 5.9% and 15.6 ± 4.9%, respectively, p = 0.68). Non-conventional electroflotation proved to be a promising methodology for harvesting and cell disruption of microalgae provided by effluent stabilization ponds, whose potential lipid resembled those obtained from microalgal biomass cultivated in conventional processes. Furthermore, the methodology developed in this work adds a reason for the harvesting and utilization of algal biomass from waste stabilization ponds avoiding, thus, its release into water bodies and ensuring an environmental and economic gain, since it aims the use of biomass for biofuel production, while minimizing environmental impacts due to elevated presence of this material on the environment.