The water and nutrient potential of brewery effluent for hydroponic tomato production
- Authors: Power, Sean Duncan
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Hydroponics , Tomatoes -- Breeding , Brewery waste , Water -- Purification , Algae culture , Algae -- Biotechnology , Nitric acid , Phosphoric acid
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5358 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011604 , Hydroponics , Tomatoes -- Breeding , Brewery waste , Water -- Purification , Algae culture , Algae -- Biotechnology , Nitric acid , Phosphoric acid
- Description: Brewery effluent that had undergone treatment in an anaerobic digester (AD) was used as an alternative water and nutrient source for hydroponic crop production. Brewery effluent was demonstrated to contain sufficient nutrients to support the growth, flowering and fruiting of Lycopersicum escolentum "Moneymaker" tomato crops. The adjustment of the effluent pH with phosphoric acid to between pH 6.0 and 6.5 increased the development of the crops by around 100% compared to crops grown in unaltered effluent. The pH adjusted effluent-grown plants grew to a mean height of 831.4 ± 21.1 mm and a dry biomass weight of 42.34 ± 2.76 g compared to the unaltered pH effluent plants which grew to a height of 410.6 ± 20.5 mm and a weight of 7.65 ± 0.68 g after 49 days. Effluent treatment in high-rate algal ponds (HRAP) was determined to have no positive effect on the nutritional potential of the effluent for Moneymaker production. The effluent-grown plants did not perform as well as plants grown in inorganic-fertilizer and municipal water. Plants grown in effluent grew taller but did not produce significantly more fruit when phosphoric acid (height: 1573.3 ± 50.4 mm, 19.4 ± 1.4 fruit per plant) was compared to nitric acid (height: 1254.1 ± 25.4 mm, 15.6 ± 1.5 fruit per plant) as the pH adjustment over 72 days. Direct and secondary plant stresses from effluent alkalinity, ammonium nutrition, nitrogen limitation, sodium concentrations and heat stress among other factors were probably confounding variables in these trials and require further investigation. Considering the raw effluent composition and manipulating the AD operation is a potential opportunity to improve overall AD performance, reduce chemical inputs in the effluent treatment process, reduce the final effluent alkalinity, and increase available nitrogen content in the final effluent. The anaerobic digester discharging >1000 m³ of nutrient enriched effluent every day is a resource with considerable potential. The benefits of developing this resource can contribute to cost-reduction at the brewery, more efficient water, nutrient and energy management at the brewery, and offer opportunities for job creation and potentially benefit local food security.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Power, Sean Duncan
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Hydroponics , Tomatoes -- Breeding , Brewery waste , Water -- Purification , Algae culture , Algae -- Biotechnology , Nitric acid , Phosphoric acid
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5358 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011604 , Hydroponics , Tomatoes -- Breeding , Brewery waste , Water -- Purification , Algae culture , Algae -- Biotechnology , Nitric acid , Phosphoric acid
- Description: Brewery effluent that had undergone treatment in an anaerobic digester (AD) was used as an alternative water and nutrient source for hydroponic crop production. Brewery effluent was demonstrated to contain sufficient nutrients to support the growth, flowering and fruiting of Lycopersicum escolentum "Moneymaker" tomato crops. The adjustment of the effluent pH with phosphoric acid to between pH 6.0 and 6.5 increased the development of the crops by around 100% compared to crops grown in unaltered effluent. The pH adjusted effluent-grown plants grew to a mean height of 831.4 ± 21.1 mm and a dry biomass weight of 42.34 ± 2.76 g compared to the unaltered pH effluent plants which grew to a height of 410.6 ± 20.5 mm and a weight of 7.65 ± 0.68 g after 49 days. Effluent treatment in high-rate algal ponds (HRAP) was determined to have no positive effect on the nutritional potential of the effluent for Moneymaker production. The effluent-grown plants did not perform as well as plants grown in inorganic-fertilizer and municipal water. Plants grown in effluent grew taller but did not produce significantly more fruit when phosphoric acid (height: 1573.3 ± 50.4 mm, 19.4 ± 1.4 fruit per plant) was compared to nitric acid (height: 1254.1 ± 25.4 mm, 15.6 ± 1.5 fruit per plant) as the pH adjustment over 72 days. Direct and secondary plant stresses from effluent alkalinity, ammonium nutrition, nitrogen limitation, sodium concentrations and heat stress among other factors were probably confounding variables in these trials and require further investigation. Considering the raw effluent composition and manipulating the AD operation is a potential opportunity to improve overall AD performance, reduce chemical inputs in the effluent treatment process, reduce the final effluent alkalinity, and increase available nitrogen content in the final effluent. The anaerobic digester discharging >1000 m³ of nutrient enriched effluent every day is a resource with considerable potential. The benefits of developing this resource can contribute to cost-reduction at the brewery, more efficient water, nutrient and energy management at the brewery, and offer opportunities for job creation and potentially benefit local food security.
- Full Text:
Towards a sustainable bioprocess for the remediation of acid mine drainage
- Authors: Mambo, Mutsa Prudence
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Acid mine drainage , Algae culture , Reduction (Chemistry) , Hydrolysis , ASPAM model (Acid mine drainage) , Water -- Purification
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5955 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006167 , Acid mine drainage , Algae culture , Reduction (Chemistry) , Hydrolysis , ASPAM model (Acid mine drainage) , Water -- Purification
- Description: Acid mine drainage is of growing concern for both developing and developed economies. Thus there is increasing pressure to develop alternative remediation strategies. Biological sulphidogenic mechanisms have long since been studied but, very few have been implemented on a large scale. Limitations are due to the inability to acquire a suitable, low cost, environmentally friendly, renewable carbon source. The present study investigated the use of an algae biomass generated by the HRAOP of an IAPS as a carbon source for the EBRU 00AB/06 SRB consortium. The algae biomass and consortium were utilized together to remediate simulated AMD. Remediation involved decreasing the sulphate and metal concentrations in solution and decreasing the acidity of a simulated AMD. Experiments were carried out to investigate the capability of the EBRU 00AB/06 SRB consortium for sulphate reduction and sulphide generation. The consortium produced colonies when grown under anaerobic conditions in Petri dishes containing modified lactate SRB medium. The SRB consortium reduced the sulphate concentration of modified Postgates medium B and generated sulphide. Further analysis of the EBRU 00AB/06 SRB consortium revealed that the consortium was minimally impacted at pH 5 and by sulphate and iron at 3 g.L-1 and 0.5 g.L-1 respectively. The EBRU 00AB/06 SRB consortium was exposed to Actinomycin D and Ethidium Bromide to determine whether transcription and translation of proteins was required for sulphate reduction. Results indicated that sulphide generation and sulphate reduction were inducible. Analysis of the algae biomass used in this study revealed the empirical formula C1.0H1.91N0.084S0.003O0.36 indicating a carbon source rich in the nutrients required to sustain microbial development. Light microscopy revealed that algae cell walls and in particular those of Pediastrum were susceptible to acid hydrolysis. Dinitrosalicylic acid, Nile red, Bradford and Ninhydrin assays were used to determine the reducing sugar, lipid, protein and amino acid content respectively, of the mixed algae biomass. Results showed that upon exposure of the biomass to simulated AMD at pH 1 and pH 3, the concentration of reducing sugars and amino acids in solution increased. Whereas levels of lipids remained unchanged while the protein concentration decreased, indicating that, upon exposure of algae biomass to AMD, simulated or otherwise, cells ruptured, proteins were hydrolyzed and polysaccharides were broken down to sugars which are immediately available for SRB utilization. Exposure of biomass to simulated AMD revealed further that the presence of algae biomass increased the pH of simulated AMD (pH 3) to pH 7.67 after 4 d. Likewise, the pH of simulated AMD at 1 increased to 1.77 after 2 d while pH of the neutral control increased to 8.1 after 4 d. A direct comparison between lactate and algae biomass revealed 94 % sulphate removal after 23 d in the presence of algae biomass while 82 % sulphate removal was measured in the presence of lactate. Thus the EBRU 00AB/06 SRB consortium successfully utilized algae biomass for sulphate reduction and sulphide generation. In another experiment to establish if the consortium could remediate simulated AMD (pH 5) containing 0.5 g.L-1 iron and 3 g.L-1 sulphate while utilizing an algae biomass as the carbon source no residual iron was detected after 14 d and by day 23, an 89.07 % reduction in sulphate was measured. The results of this investigation are discussed in terms of utilizing a readily available and renewable biomass in the form of microalgae produced in HRAOPs as an effective carbon source in the SRB catalysed remediation of AMD.
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mambo, Mutsa Prudence
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Acid mine drainage , Algae culture , Reduction (Chemistry) , Hydrolysis , ASPAM model (Acid mine drainage) , Water -- Purification
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MSc
- Identifier: vital:5955 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1006167 , Acid mine drainage , Algae culture , Reduction (Chemistry) , Hydrolysis , ASPAM model (Acid mine drainage) , Water -- Purification
- Description: Acid mine drainage is of growing concern for both developing and developed economies. Thus there is increasing pressure to develop alternative remediation strategies. Biological sulphidogenic mechanisms have long since been studied but, very few have been implemented on a large scale. Limitations are due to the inability to acquire a suitable, low cost, environmentally friendly, renewable carbon source. The present study investigated the use of an algae biomass generated by the HRAOP of an IAPS as a carbon source for the EBRU 00AB/06 SRB consortium. The algae biomass and consortium were utilized together to remediate simulated AMD. Remediation involved decreasing the sulphate and metal concentrations in solution and decreasing the acidity of a simulated AMD. Experiments were carried out to investigate the capability of the EBRU 00AB/06 SRB consortium for sulphate reduction and sulphide generation. The consortium produced colonies when grown under anaerobic conditions in Petri dishes containing modified lactate SRB medium. The SRB consortium reduced the sulphate concentration of modified Postgates medium B and generated sulphide. Further analysis of the EBRU 00AB/06 SRB consortium revealed that the consortium was minimally impacted at pH 5 and by sulphate and iron at 3 g.L-1 and 0.5 g.L-1 respectively. The EBRU 00AB/06 SRB consortium was exposed to Actinomycin D and Ethidium Bromide to determine whether transcription and translation of proteins was required for sulphate reduction. Results indicated that sulphide generation and sulphate reduction were inducible. Analysis of the algae biomass used in this study revealed the empirical formula C1.0H1.91N0.084S0.003O0.36 indicating a carbon source rich in the nutrients required to sustain microbial development. Light microscopy revealed that algae cell walls and in particular those of Pediastrum were susceptible to acid hydrolysis. Dinitrosalicylic acid, Nile red, Bradford and Ninhydrin assays were used to determine the reducing sugar, lipid, protein and amino acid content respectively, of the mixed algae biomass. Results showed that upon exposure of the biomass to simulated AMD at pH 1 and pH 3, the concentration of reducing sugars and amino acids in solution increased. Whereas levels of lipids remained unchanged while the protein concentration decreased, indicating that, upon exposure of algae biomass to AMD, simulated or otherwise, cells ruptured, proteins were hydrolyzed and polysaccharides were broken down to sugars which are immediately available for SRB utilization. Exposure of biomass to simulated AMD revealed further that the presence of algae biomass increased the pH of simulated AMD (pH 3) to pH 7.67 after 4 d. Likewise, the pH of simulated AMD at 1 increased to 1.77 after 2 d while pH of the neutral control increased to 8.1 after 4 d. A direct comparison between lactate and algae biomass revealed 94 % sulphate removal after 23 d in the presence of algae biomass while 82 % sulphate removal was measured in the presence of lactate. Thus the EBRU 00AB/06 SRB consortium successfully utilized algae biomass for sulphate reduction and sulphide generation. In another experiment to establish if the consortium could remediate simulated AMD (pH 5) containing 0.5 g.L-1 iron and 3 g.L-1 sulphate while utilizing an algae biomass as the carbon source no residual iron was detected after 14 d and by day 23, an 89.07 % reduction in sulphate was measured. The results of this investigation are discussed in terms of utilizing a readily available and renewable biomass in the form of microalgae produced in HRAOPs as an effective carbon source in the SRB catalysed remediation of AMD.
- Full Text:
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