Nitrogen removal from wastewaters without carbon sources using microalgae

Possibility of biological nitrogen treatment was tested in wastewaters with low C/N ratio. Chlorella kessleri was inoculated at $10^6\;cell/mL$ of initial density in two different artificial wastewaters: one that contained glucose for organic carbon source and the other without carbon source. Nitrate could be successfully reduced below 10 mg $NO_3/mL$ from initial nitrate concentration of 560 mg $NO_3/mL$ in 10 days even in the wastewater without carbon source, This 98% removal of nitrate without extra organic carbon source lights up the future of biological wastewater treatment, where the insufficient ability of nitrogen removal is a major problem.