Evaluation of a two-phase extraction system of carbohydrates and proteins from chlorella vulgaris utex 1803

Microalgae are a valuable source of high-value products and biofuels, however the high-energy cost required for the extraction of their metabolites has kept questioning on possible industrial upgrading. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of temperature, solvent/biomass, NaOH concentration and thermal pretreatment of the biomass in a 2-cycle carbohydrate and protein extraction system. Results shown that best conditions for carbohydrates extraction are achieved at a solvent concentration of 3.67 M, 55°C and a solvent/biomass ratio of 30mL/g. On the other side, the best conditions for protein were 3 M, 85°C and 45 mL/g. The efficiencies achieved under these conditions were 95% for carbohydrates and 98% for proteins. Using the best extraction conditions for each metabolite a thermal pre-treatment was performed at 25°C, 75°C and 105°C. Results indicate that highest efficiencies were achieved with dry biomass pretreated at 105°C, with values of 95% for carbohydrates and 98% for proteins

Obtaining lipids and carbohydrates from microalgae via design of selective culture media

La producción sostenible de biorrefinerías a partir de microalgas presenta varias complicaciones técnicas a diferentes niveles, entre los que se encuentra la maximización de la productividad de bloques energéticos, como carbohidratos y lípidos, que sean materia prima para biodiesel y bioetanol. Una alternativa para aumentar la productividad de bloques energéticos es el uso de cultivos alternativos a los medios químicos tradicionales, los cuales se han basado en fuentes de carbono, fosforo, nitrógeno y microelementos. Este trabajo presenta el diseño de dos medios de cultivo mixotrófico con diferentes fuentes de carbono, nitrógeno y fósforo, a fin de evaluar la producción de carbohidratos y lípidos a partir de Chlorella vulgaris. Los medios de cultivo se diseñaron a diferentes concentraciones de nitrato de sodio, fosfato de potasio y acetato de sodio/carbonato de amonio como fuente de carbono. Además, se realizaron diagramas de Pareto y Superficies de Respuesta utilizando el software estadístico STATISTICA 7.0, a fin de conocer la influencia significativa de las variables de estudio sobre la producción de metabolitos. Los resultados mostraron que la concentración de los nutrientes en los cultivos mixotroficos afecta la producción de metabolitos, para el caso de la obtención de carbohidratos, el acetato, el carbonato y el fosfato ejercieron un efecto positivo en su producción. Para la producción de lípidos, cuando el medio de cultivo contenía acetato, no se presentó variable alguna que influyera significativamente, mientras que, para el cultivo con carbonato de amonio, el nitrato y las interacciones carbonato-fosfato, nitrato-fosfato ejercieron una influencia significativa en la producción de este metabolito.Sustainable production of microalgae biorefineries presents several technical bottlenecks in different levels, including maximization of productivity of energy blocks as carbohydrates and lipids, which can be used as feedstocks for biodiesel and bioethanol production. An alternative for increasing productivity of energy blocks is the use of alternative crops to traditional chemical media, which are based on carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen sources and microelements. This work presents the design of two mixotrophic crops were designed at different concentrations of carbon, nitrogen and phosphate sources with the aim of evaluating the carbohydrates and lipids production from Chlorella vulgaris. The culture media were designed at different concentrations of sodium nitrate, potassium phosphate and sodium acetate / ammonium carbonate as carbon source. In addition, Pareto charts and Response Surface were performed using the statistical software STATISTICA 7.0, in order to know the significant influence of study variables on metabolites production. Results showed that the concentration of nutrients in the mixotrophic cultures affect the production of metabolites, for the case of carbohydrates production, acetate, carbonate and phosphate had a positive effect on it. Regarding lipids production, when the culture media contained acetate, there was not any variable that influenced significantly, whereas for the cultivation with ammonium carbonate, nitrate and interactions carbonate-phosphate, nitrate-phosphate had a significant influence on production of this metabolite

Advanced Oxidation Processes and Biotechnological Alternatives for the Treatment of Tannery Wastewater

The tannery industry is one of the economic sectors that contributes to the development of different countries. Globally, Europe and Asia are the main producers of this industry, although Latin America and Africa have been growing considerably in recent years. With this growth, the negative environmental impacts towards different ecosystem resources as a result of the discharges of recalcitrated pollutants, have led to different investigations to generate alternative solutions. Worldwide, different technologies have been studied to address this problem, biological and physicochemical processes have been widely studied, presenting drawbacks with some recalcitrant compounds. This review provides a context on the different existing technologies for the treatment of tannery wastewater, analyzing the physicochemical composition of this liquid waste, the impact it generates on human health and ecosystems and the advances in the different existing technologies, focusing on advanced oxidation processes and the use of microalgae. The coupling of advanced oxidation processes with biological processes, mainly microalgae, is seen as a viable biotechnological strategy, not only for the removal of pollutants, but also to obtain value-added products with potential use in the biorefining of the biomass

Inherent Safety Analysis and Sustainability Evaluation of a Vaccine Production Topology in North-East Colombia

Influenza is a respiratory disease that may cause severe consequences to human health. Influenza caused between 99,000 and 200,000 deaths worldwide in 2019. Studies have reported the presence of this virus in Santander, Colombia, a region with a high humanitarian flow. An influenza vaccine production plant topology has been proposed previously. Nevertheless, the inherent safety and sustainably behavior of this topology is unknown. Process safety plays a crucial role in the evaluation of emerging technologies since it allows the identification of potential risks. Moreover, the current sustainability policies enforce the assessment of processes considering economic, social, and environmental aspects. For this reason, a safety and sustainability evaluation of a vaccine production topology is performed in this work. The inherent safety index (ISI) methodology was implemented to analyze the process. The sustainability evaluation was performed using the sustainability weighted return on investment metric (SWROIM), in which return on investment (ROI), output potential environmental impact (PEI output), total safety inherent index (ITI), and exergy efficiency were considered. The results showed that influenza vaccine production is inherently safe since the total inherent safety index was 11. The destroyed exergy was 378.69 MJ/h, the return on investment was 86%, and the SWROIM was estimated at 81%, which means slightly negative impacts on sustainability

Inherent Safety Analysis and Sustainability Evaluation of a Vaccine Production Topology in North-East Colombia

Influenza is a respiratory disease that may cause severe consequences to human health. Influenza caused between 99,000 and 200,000 deaths worldwide in 2019. Studies have reported the presence of this virus in Santander, Colombia, a region with a high humanitarian flow. An influenza vaccine production plant topology has been proposed previously. Nevertheless, the inherent safety and sustainably behavior of this topology is unknown. Process safety plays a crucial role in the evaluation of emerging technologies since it allows the identification of potential risks. Moreover, the current sustainability policies enforce the assessment of processes considering economic, social, and environmental aspects. For this reason, a safety and sustainability evaluation of a vaccine production topology is performed in this work. The inherent safety index (ISI) methodology was implemented to analyze the process. The sustainability evaluation was performed using the sustainability weighted return on investment metric (SWROIM), in which return on investment (ROI), output potential environmental impact (PEI output), total safety inherent index (ITI), and exergy efficiency were considered. The results showed that influenza vaccine production is inherently safe since the total inherent safety index was 11. The destroyed exergy was 378.69 MJ/h, the return on investment was 86%, and the SWROIM was estimated at 81%, which means slightly negative impacts on sustainability

Acople de fotocatálisis heterogénea y proceso biológico aerobio de lodos activados para tratar aguas residuales con contenido de Clorpirifos

Chlorpyrifos is one of the most commonly used pesticides in Colombia, being the most commonly used in the department of Norte de Santander, where its usefulness has been proven to protect crops of rice, coffee, etc. However, due to improper use by farmers, this has brought negative consequences for the environment and the health of people, which is why in 2014 there were 715 cases of poisoning by this substance in the department. In order to generate a technically viable alternative for the treatment of agricultural wastewater containing Chlorpyrifos and advancing in the decontamination of receiving water bodies, the effectiveness of the heterogeneous photocatalysis coupling in a Composite Parabolic Collector - CPC and an aerobic biological process of activated sludge in batch. The photocatalysis was performed in a CPC of 0.83 m2, using sunlight as a source of energy (20, 40 and 60 KJ.L-1) and titanium dioxide - TiO2 Degussa P25 as a catalyst (100, 350 and 600 mg. L-1), at a pH of 3, 6 and 9 and as an aerobic biological process the Zahn-Wellens Test was used. The photocatalytic process achieved a maximum DQO removal of 44.2% and COD of 35.3%, for optimal conditions 159.19 mg.L-1 of TiO2 and 3.47 pH units. The biological process managed to degrade 17.0% of DQO and 9.3% of COD for wastewater without pretreatment. After pretreatment by photocatalysis, the removal of the biological process increased to 88.2% DQO and 67.8% COD. From the results obtained, it is established that the coupling of heterogeneous photocatalysis and an aerobic biological process is a viable alternative for the treatment of agricultural wastewater with the presence of Chlorpyrifos.  El Clorpirifos es uno de los plaguicidas que más se utiliza en Colombia, siendo el de mayor uso en el departamento de Norte de Santander, en donde su utilidad ha sido comprobada para proteger cultivos de arroz, café, etc. No obstante, debido al uso inadecuado por parte de los agricultores, este ha traído consecuencias negativas para el medio ambiente y la salud de las personas, es así como para el año 2014 se registraron 715 casos de intoxicación por esta sustancia en el departamento. Con el fin de generar una alternativa técnicamente viable para el tratamiento de las aguas residuales agrícolas con contenido de Clorpirifos y avanzar en la descontaminación de los cuerpos de agua receptores, se evaluó la eficacia del acople de fotocatálisis heterogénea en un Colector Parabólico Compuesto - CPC y un proceso biológico aerobio de lodos activados en batch. La fotocatálisis se realizó en un CPC de 0.83 m2, usando luz solar como fuente de energía (20, 40 y 60 KJ.L-1) y dióxido de titanio - TiO2 Degussa P25 como catalizador (100, 350 y 600 mg.L-1), a pH de 3, 6 y 9 y como proceso biológico aerobio se utilizó el Test de Zahn-Wellens. El proceso fotocatalítico alcanzó una remoción máxima de DQO del 44.2% y COD del 35.3%, para condiciones óptimas 159.19 mg.L-1 de TiO2 y 3.47 unidades de pH. El proceso biológico logró degradar el 17.0% de DQO y 9.3% del COD para el agua residual sin pretratamiento. Después del pretratamiento mediante fotocatálisis, la remoción del proceso biológico aumentó a un 88.2% de DQO y 67.8% de COD. De los resultados obtenidos se establece que el acople de fotocatálisis heterogénea y un proceso biológico aerobio, es una alternativa viable para el tratamiento de aguas residuales agrícolas con presencia de Clorpirifo

Evaluation of the Light/Dark Cycle and Concentration of Tannery Wastewater in the Production of Biomass and Metabolites of Industrial Interest from Microalgae and Cyanobacteria

The tanning industry transforms animal skins into leather and produces liquid effluents with a high organic and inorganic pollutant load. This work evaluated the effect of the tannery wastewater (TWW) concentration and the light/dark cycle on the production of biomass, carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and pigments (carotenoids and phycobiliproteins) on two microalgae (Chlorella sp. and Scenedesmus sp.) and one cyanobacterium (Hapalosiphon sp.). A non-factorial central experimental design with a response surface was implemented using the STATISTICA 7.0 software. High removal percentages for nitrates (97%), phosphates (73.3%), and chemical oxygen demand (93.2%) were achieved with the three strains. The results also highlight that the use of a constant light regime (24:0) and the concentration of real TWW affect the biomass production, since the highest concentration of biomass recorded was 1.31 g L−1 of Hapalosiphon sp. with 100% undiluted wastewater

Acople de fotocatálisis heterogénea y proceso biológico aerobio de lodos activados para tratar aguas residuales con contenido de Clorpirifos

Chlorpyrifos is one of the most commonly used pesticides in Colombia, being the most commonly used in the department of Norte de Santander, where its usefulness has been proven to protect crops of rice, coffee, etc. However, due to improper use by farmers, this has brought negative consequences for the environment and the health of people, which is why in 2014 there were 715 cases of poisoning by this substance in the department. In order to generate a technically viable alternative for the treatment of agricultural wastewater containing Chlorpyrifos and advancing in the decontamination of receiving water bodies, the effectiveness of the heterogeneous photocatalysis coupling in a Composite Parabolic Collector - CPC and an aerobic biological process of activated sludge in batch. The photocatalysis was performed in a CPC of 0.83 m2, using sunlight as a source of energy (20, 40 and 60 KJ.L-1) and titanium dioxide - TiO2 Degussa P25 as a catalyst (100, 350 and 600 mg. L-1), at a pH of 3, 6 and 9 and as an aerobic biological process the Zahn-Wellens Test was used. The photocatalytic process achieved a maximum DQO removal of 44.2% and COD of 35.3%, for optimal conditions 159.19 mg.L-1 of TiO2 and 3.47 pH units. The biological process managed to degrade 17.0% of DQO and 9.3% of COD for wastewater without pretreatment. After pretreatment by photocatalysis, the removal of the biological process increased to 88.2% DQO and 67.8% COD. From the results obtained, it is established that the coupling of heterogeneous photocatalysis and an aerobic biological process is a viable alternative for the treatment of agricultural wastewater with the presence of Chlorpyrifos.  El Clorpirifos es uno de los plaguicidas que más se utiliza en Colombia, siendo el de mayor uso en el departamento de Norte de Santander, en donde su utilidad ha sido comprobada para proteger cultivos de arroz, café, etc. No obstante, debido al uso inadecuado por parte de los agricultores, este ha traído consecuencias negativas para el medio ambiente y la salud de las personas, es así como para el año 2014 se registraron 715 casos de intoxicación por esta sustancia en el departamento. Con el fin de generar una alternativa técnicamente viable para el tratamiento de las aguas residuales agrícolas con contenido de Clorpirifos y avanzar en la descontaminación de los cuerpos de agua receptores, se evaluó la eficacia del acople de fotocatálisis heterogénea en un Colector Parabólico Compuesto - CPC y un proceso biológico aerobio de lodos activados en batch. La fotocatálisis se realizó en un CPC de 0.83 m2, usando luz solar como fuente de energía (20, 40 y 60 KJ.L-1) y dióxido de titanio - TiO2 Degussa P25 como catalizador (100, 350 y 600 mg.L-1), a pH de 3, 6 y 9 y como proceso biológico aerobio se utilizó el Test de Zahn-Wellens. El proceso fotocatalítico alcanzó una remoción máxima de DQO del 44.2% y COD del 35.3%, para condiciones óptimas 159.19 mg.L-1 de TiO2 y 3.47 unidades de pH. El proceso biológico logró degradar el 17.0% de DQO y 9.3% del COD para el agua residual sin pretratamiento. Después del pretratamiento mediante fotocatálisis, la remoción del proceso biológico aumentó a un 88.2% de DQO y 67.8% de COD. De los resultados obtenidos se establece que el acople de fotocatálisis heterogénea y un proceso biológico aerobio, es una alternativa viable para el tratamiento de aguas residuales agrícolas con presencia de Clorpirifo