Open AccessPotential of Human Urine as a Nutrient Medium for the Biomass Production of Microalga Scenedesmus sp
Author(s) -
Abebe Muluye,
Berhanu Sali,
Blien Bahta,
Birtukan Melese,
Bethel Girma,
Misrak Kebede,
Muluken Kebede,
Arumuganainar Suresh
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
east african journal of agriculture and biotechnology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2707-4307
pISSN - 2707-4293
DOI - 10.37284/eajab.3.1.409
Subject(s) - biomass (ecology) , scenedesmus , nutrient , serial dilution , food science , urine , photobioreactor , biology , dilution , autotroph , productivity , chemistry , botany , algae , bacteria , agronomy , biochemistry , ecology , medicine , alternative medicine , macroeconomics , pathology , economics , thermodynamics , physics , genetics
Microalgae have value-added chemicals, but their biomass production is costly due to the expensive nutrient chemicals. Meantime human urine (HU) is considered wastewater and has basic nutrients for autotrophs. This study tested the potentials of being cheaply available in HU as a nutrient source for the biomass production of microalga Scenedesmus sp. HU was collected, sterilized, and made different dilutions. Microalga of Scenedesmus sp., was isolated from the urine contaminated site, purified, inoculated into the HU medium, and incubated under Sunlight for 7 days at 25 °C. The maximum growth was observed in 15 % HU as 0.795 OD670nm with 0.57 g/L biomass production with a significant difference (p<0.01). The productivity of 81 mg/L/day was reached. The concentrated urine of more than 20 % was not supporting the growth of microalga. This study concluded that human urine can be used as a nutrient medium for microalgae growth at certain dilution.