Remoción de nitrógeno en vinaza de caña de azúcar por cultivo heterotrófico de la cianobacteria filamentosa Geitlerinema sp.

Vinasse is the main liquid effluent from the production process of fuel ethanol from sugarcane (Saccharum spp.). Due to the large volumes generated, its treatment is one of the biggest challenges for the sugar sector. Geitlerinema is a filamentous cyanobacterium with heterotrophic metabolism. For this reason is possible to culture it for treating high turbidity effluents, such as vinasse. The objective of this study was to determine the potential of the heterotrophic culture of Geitlerinema sp. as a treatment method for sugarcane vinasse. It was cultivated in the undiluted effluent, with the addition of glucose (10 g l-1). The changes in the concentration of biomass, organic carbon and total nitrogen were recorded. The percentage of lipids and proteins of the biomass was determined at the end of the experiment. The filamentous cyanobacteria did not increase its biomass during 24 h of culture. Carbon (35%) and nitrogen (75%) removal was observed. The final composition of the biomass in lipids and proteins was 15.0 and 14.6% (m / m), respectively. The removal of 75% of the total nitrogen from the culture medium observed at the end of the experiment suggests the potential of the cyanobacterium as an option for the treatment of sugarcane vinasse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]