Coupling microalgal bioremediation of recirculating aquaculture effluents with photobiological hydrogen production

Calderini, Marco L. and Nagy, Valéria and Tóth, Szilvia Zita and Kovács, László and Kuntam, Soujanya and Salmi, Pauliina (2026) Coupling microalgal bioremediation of recirculating aquaculture effluents with photobiological hydrogen production. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY, 282. No. 157939. ISSN 0360-3199

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Abstract

Recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) effluents contain substantial nutrient loads, posing a eutrophication risk to aquatic ecosystems. Microalgal bioremediation is a promising strategy, but further valorisation of this process is required. This study couples the cultivation of nitrate-utilizing Chlamydomonas reinhardtii strain CC-1690 in RAS effluent with photobiological hydrogen (H2) production to achieve nutrient removal, bioenergy production, and high-quality biomass. Within 70 h, CC-1690 achieved near-complete depletion of nitrate and phosphate from the effluent. Subsequently, H2 production was induced via carbon limitation and anoxia, yielding 49 μmol H2 mg−1 Chl over 72 h. Although signs of physiological stress were observed, key photosynthetic subunits (PsbA, PSBO, CP47, PetB and PsaA) remained largely stable. Total lipid content increased slightly, enriched in palmitic and α-linolenic fatty acids, while protein content was unaffected. These results demonstrate that integrating H2 production with RAS effluent remediation offers a robust approach, valorising waste into bioenergy and high-quality biomass.

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