Effects of light color on growth, nutrient uptake, and harvesting of the indigenous strain of Chlorococcum sp.

Abstract

Chlorococcum sp. is robust and has dominant growth in aquatic habitats, making it a promising bioresource. This study investigates the batch-wise cultivation and harvesting of Chlorococcum sp. in a standard medium under various lights, followed by biomass harvesting using FeCl₃ as a coagulant. The findings highlight the significant impact of light color on growth and nutrient uptake. Specifically, red and blue light promotes growth, followed by white and violet. Following successful cultivation, the coagulation process underwent optimization, determining the optimal dose for harvesting at different cell concentrations (700 mg/L for 3.6 × 10⁶ cells/mL, 600 mg/L for 3.3 × 10⁶ cells/mL, 500 mg/L for 3.2 × 10⁶ cells/mL, and 400 mg/L for 3.0 × 10⁶ cells/mL), each exhibiting high harvesting efficiency. These findings not only advance microalgae cultivation practices but also provide valuable insights into the effective recovery of biomass, potentially expanding the applications of microalgae in various biotechnological fields.