1. Investigating flocculation mechanisms and ecological safety of cationic guar gum for rapid harvesting of microalgal cells.
- Author
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Dai D, Qv M, Wu Q, Wang W, Huang L, and Zhu L
- Subjects
- Staphylococcus aureus drug effects, Escherichia coli drug effects, Hydrogen-Ion Concentration, Galactans pharmacology, Galactans chemistry, Plant Gums chemistry, Plant Gums pharmacology, Flocculation drug effects, Mannans pharmacology, Mannans chemistry, Microalgae drug effects, Cations
- Abstract
Addressing the drawbacks of traditional flocculants on microalgae biomass harvesting is crucial for large-scale industrial applications of microalgae production. In this study, cationic bioflocculant was successfully prepared by introducing cationic groups into the side chain of guar gum, achieving in-situ algae flocculation efficiency of 83.5 % with the dosage of 18.0 mg/L under pH = 10.0. Through a harmonious integration of predictive modelling and practical experimentation, a superior cell flocculation capacity of 23.5 g/g was achieved. In addition, the environmental safety and biocompatibility of cationic guar gum was assessed, using the typical suspension quantitative bacteriostatic method and the fluorescent double-staining technique. The results showed that the inhibition efficiency of Staphylococcus aureus in the system containing 60.0 mg/L cationic guar gum was only 12.0 % and there was no inhibition against Escherichia coli colonies. These findings provide a safe and green flocculant for efficient microalgae harvesting and spent medium treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2024
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