USE OF A BALANCED EFFLUENT FROM THE ANAEROBIC REACTOR FOR ALGAE CHLORELLA VULGARIS GROWTH FOR BIOMASS PRODUCTION

The aim of the study was to determine the possible use of the effluent, produced in the process of the anaerobic decomposition of organic substances, as a medium in the cultivation of microalgae Chlorella vulgaris. The characteristics of efficiency and kinetic of algae growth rate was determined. The scope included balancing of the effluent so as to provide an adequate level of nutrients required for algae growth. The effluent dilutions of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% was tested. The effluent was supplemented with nutrients to create the same conditions as in the synthetic medium. The tested effluent can be used in the intensive cultivation of biomass of microalgae Chlorella vulgaris. The best results were obtained with the effluent dilution of 75%

Use of a Pulsed Electric Field to Improve the Biogas Potential of Maize Silage

Some types of biomass require great inputs to guarantee high conversion rates to methane. The complex structure of lignocellulose impedes its penetration by cellulolytic enzymes, as a result of which a longer retention time is necessary to increase the availability of nutrients. To use the full biogas potential of lignocellulosic substrates, a substrate pretreatment is necessary before the proper methane fermentation. This article discusses the impact of the pretreatment of maize silage with a pulsed electric field on biogas productivity. The experiment showed a slight decrease in cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin content in the substrate following pretreatment with a pulsed electric field, which resulted in a higher carbohydrate content in the liquid substrate fraction. The highest biogas production output was obtained for the pretreated sample at the retention time of 180 s for 751.97 mL/g volatile solids (VS), which was approximately 14% higher than for the control sample. The methane production rate for the control sample was 401.83 mL CH4/g VS, and for the sample following disintegration it was 465.62 mL CH4/g VS. The study found that pretreatment of maize silage with a pulsed electric field increased the biogas potential

Increasing the Biogas Potential of Rapeseed Straw Using Pulsed Electric Field Pre-Treatment

Due to the high availability of lignocellulosic biomass, which can be obtained from terrestrial plants, agricultural waste biomass, and the agro-food, paper or wood industries, its use for energy production by methane fermentation is economically and environmentally justified. However, due to their complex structures, lignocellulosic substrates have a low conversion factor to biogas. Therefore, scientists are still working on the development of new methods of the pre-treatment of lignocellulosic materials that will increase the biogas productivity from lignocellulosic biomass. The presented research focuses on the use of a pulsed electric field (PEF) to disintegrate rapeseed straw prior to the methane fermentation process. Scanning electron microscopy observation showed that, in the disintegrated sample, the extent of damage to the plant tissue was more severe than in the control sample. In the sample disintegrated for 7 min, the chemical oxygen demand increased from 4146 ± 75 mg/L to 4920 ± 60 mg/L. The best result was achieved with a 5-min PEF pre-treatment. The methane production reached 290.8 ± 12.1 NmL CH4/g VS, and the biogas production was 478.0 ± 27.5 NmL/g VS; it was 14% and 15% higher, respectively, compared to the control sample

Effect of Lighting on the Intensification of Phycocyanin Production in a Culture of Arthrospira platensis

The global market shows high demand for products of natural origin to reduce the use of synthetic substances in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. One of the opportunities for acquiring natural compounds of industrial value is the use of cyanobacteria biomass. In terms of biomass composition, cyanobacteria of the species Arthrospira platensis deserve particular attention. They are characterised by high contents of protein, γ-linolenic acid, polysaccharides, β-carotene, chlorophyll and phycocyanin. Phycocyanin is a pigment-protein complex widely used in the food and cosmetics industry. It is also used as fluorescent probes in histochemistry, fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and fluorescence immunoassay. Due to the extensive use of phycocyanin in various industries, a high demand for this pigment is generated, which determines the search for methods of intensifying phycocyanin production by the cells of A. platensis. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of light of different wavelengths on phycocyanin productivity by cyanobacteria of the species Arthrospira platensis. The highest biomass concentration and phycocyanin concentration were obtained in a culture using Red LED lighting

Purification of Post-Fermentation Effluent Using Chlorella vulgaris Microalgae

Waste-water rich in organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus may serve as a convenient source of carbon and nutrients for a year-long microalgae production. Scientific reports indicate that some single-cell microalgae such as Chlorella and Scenedesmus, are highly tolerant to waste-water environments and efficiently remove biogenic compounds. The aim of this study was to determine the possibility of using the effluent produced in the process of anaerobic degradation of whey, as a culture medium for the multiplication of Chlorella vulgaris algae biomass and to characterise their growth efficiency and rate. The content of nitrogen and phosphorus in waste-water was sufficient for conducting an effective culture of algae. The efficiency of nitrogen removal in the flow system was 15.61 ± 1.38 mg N/dm3/day

Increasing the Biogas Potential of Rapeseed Straw Using Pulsed Electric Field Pre-Treatment

Due to the high availability of lignocellulosic biomass, which can be obtained from terrestrial plants, agricultural waste biomass, and the agro-food, paper or wood industries, its use for energy production by methane fermentation is economically and environmentally justified. However, due to their complex structures, lignocellulosic substrates have a low conversion factor to biogas. Therefore, scientists are still working on the development of new methods of the pre-treatment of lignocellulosic materials that will increase the biogas productivity from lignocellulosic biomass. The presented research focuses on the use of a pulsed electric field (PEF) to disintegrate rapeseed straw prior to the methane fermentation process. Scanning electron microscopy observation showed that, in the disintegrated sample, the extent of damage to the plant tissue was more severe than in the control sample. In the sample disintegrated for 7 min, the chemical oxygen demand increased from 4146 ± 75 mg/L to 4920 ± 60 mg/L. The best result was achieved with a 5-min PEF pre-treatment. The methane production reached 290.8 ± 12.1 NmL CH4/g VS, and the biogas production was 478.0 ± 27.5 NmL/g VS; it was 14% and 15% higher, respectively, compared to the control sample

Effect of Lighting on the Intensification of Phycocyanin Production in a Culture of Arthrospira platensis

The global market shows high demand for products of natural origin to reduce the use of synthetic substances in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. One of the opportunities for acquiring natural compounds of industrial value is the use of cyanobacteria biomass. In terms of biomass composition, cyanobacteria of the species Arthrospira platensis deserve particular attention. They are characterised by high contents of protein, γ-linolenic acid, polysaccharides, β-carotene, chlorophyll and phycocyanin. Phycocyanin is a pigment-protein complex widely used in the food and cosmetics industry. It is also used as fluorescent probes in histochemistry, fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry and fluorescence immunoassay. Due to the extensive use of phycocyanin in various industries, a high demand for this pigment is generated, which determines the search for methods of intensifying phycocyanin production by the cells of A. platensis. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of light of different wavelengths on phycocyanin productivity by cyanobacteria of the species Arthrospira platensis. The highest biomass concentration and phycocyanin concentration were obtained in a culture using Red LED lighting

Effectiveness of EU Directives in National Courts – Judicial Dialogue Continues: The Court of Justice’s Judgment in C-545/17 Pawlak

This commentary on the Court of Justice’s ruling in the Pawlak case concentrates on questions of the judicial application of EU law, in particular EU Directives. On the basis of the recent jurisprudence of the Court the authors present three issues: 1) the incidental effects of EU law for the procedural provisions of Member States; 2) the inability to rely on an EU directive by a member state’s authority in order to exclude the application of national provisions which are contrary to a directive; 3) the limits of the duty to interpret national law in conformity with EU law from the perspective of the Court of Justice and the referring court. Further, the article presents the judicial practice of the Polish Supreme Court, and in particular the follow-up decision of this Court not only taking into the account the ruling of the ECJ but also showing how the limitation of a conforming interpretation can be overcome in order to give full effect to EU law. In the authors’ view, this case is worth noting as an example of judicial dialogue in the EU

USE OF A BALANCED EFFLUENT FROM THE ANAEROBIC REACTOR FOR ALGAE CHLORELLA VULGARIS GROWTH FOR BIOMASS PRODUCTION

The aim of the study was to determine the possible use of the effluent, produced in the process of the anaerobic decomposition of organic substances, as a medium in the cultivation of microalgae Chlorella vulgaris. The characteristics of efficiency and kinetic of algae growth rate was determined. The scope included balancing of the effluent so as to provide an adequate level of nutrients required for algae growth. The effluent dilutions of 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% was tested. The effluent was supplemented with nutrients to create the same conditions as in the synthetic medium. The tested effluent can be used in the intensive cultivation of biomass of microalgae Chlorella vulgaris. The best results were obtained with the effluent dilution of 75%

Cross-Comparison of the Impact of Grass Silage Pulsed Electric Field and Microwave-Induced Disintegration on Biogas Production Efficiency

Lignocellulosic biomass is included in the group of renewable energy sources. Its calorific value is high, owing to which it can be successfully used in the production of second-generation fuels, e.g., biogas. However, its complex structure makes it necessary to apply a pretreatment in order to increase the biogas output. This study presents the usability of a pulsed electric field in grass silage pretreatment in methane fermentation and compares it with microwave-induced disintegration. The experiment shows that substrate disintegration with a pulsed electric field (PEF) results in an increase in methane output. The productivity of methane from PEF pretreatment silage increased by 20.1% compared to the untreated control. The application of microwave disintegration, with the assumption that the same energy is used for the pretreatment, resulted in a methane output increase of 6% compared to the control. The highest biogas production output in PEF-pretreated samples was 535.57 NL/kg VS, while the highest biogas output from substrates pretreated with microwaves was 487.18 NL/kg VS