Dual-purpose shrimp-pond effluent treatment and biomass production for biodiesel using Desmodesmus sp

Intensive shrimp farming in Vietnam’s coastal regions generates significant organic and nutrient pollution. This study optimizes Desmodesmus sp. cultivation for treating shrimp-pond wastewater and producing biodiesel in tropical conditions. Microalgae were cultivated in 4 L photobioreactors with 2–1...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Thu Thuy Cao, Ngoc Nam Trinh, Jean-Luc Vasel, Claire Remacle, Hung Anh Le, Gauthier Eppe
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Environmental Challenges
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667010025001921
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Summary:Intensive shrimp farming in Vietnam’s coastal regions generates significant organic and nutrient pollution. This study optimizes Desmodesmus sp. cultivation for treating shrimp-pond wastewater and producing biodiesel in tropical conditions. Microalgae were cultivated in 4 L photobioreactors with 2–10 % (v/v) shrimp-pond sludge, identifying 6 % as the optimal concentration (growth rate: 0.378 day⁻¹). In a 40 m³ high-rate algal pond (HRAP), Desmodesmus sp. achieved 90 % NH4-N, 76 % PO4-P, and 85 % COD removal over 4 days. Biomass harvesting via Ca(OH)2 flocculation at pH 10 was cost-effective, yielding biodiesel-grade biomass with 34 % oleic acid (C18:1) and 33 % palmitic acid (C16:0), meeting EU and US standards. This is the first study to demonstrate efficient treatment of high-salinity (33 g L⁻¹) shrimp-pond wastewater in large-scale HRAPs, offering a scalable, low-cost solution for environmental sustainability and economic benefits in aquaculture-intensive regions like Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. However, challenges such as zooplankton proliferation and climatic variability highlight the need for robust operational strategies before broader deployment.
ISSN:2667-0100