Characterization and polyculture analysis of microalgae strains based on biomass production and nutrient consumption, and bacterial community in municipal wastewater

Abstract

Polyculture of microalgae could enhance biomass production. It is crucial to select the proper combination of microbial polyculture which can achieve a positive impact. Ten microalgae suitable for healthy growth in municipal wastewater were selected. Simulated wastewater was used to conduct experiments on the cultivation of single microalgae. Possible combinations of microalgae were analyzed from three aspects: the potential for conversion into biofuels, the consumption of different forms of nitrogen and phosphorus, and the structure of microalgae bacterial communities. From the perspective of converting to biocrude, Leptolyngbya boryana with high protein content was found unsuitable as a biomass raw material. Non-metric multidimensional scale analysis of different forms of nitrogen and phosphorus consumption shows the preference of the microalgae community for the use of nitrogen and phosphorus. By analyzing the bacterial community structure, it was found that microalgae have a significant impact on the bacterial community. We believe that it is more likely to improve the production efficiency of microalgae by establishing the combination of microalgae with high biocrude conversion efficiency, different nitrogen and phosphorus utilization preferences, and large difference in bacterial community structure.