Optimized cultivation of Ettlia sp. YC001 in eutrophic pond water for nutrient removal and biomass production

Ettlia sp. YC001, a highly settleable and productive microalga, was shown to be effective in removing nutrients and capturing suspended solids from eutrophic pond water. The optimum conditions for the Ettlia sp. YC001 cultivation were investigated using water from a landscape pond. The pond water was supplemented with different N : P ratios by weight, and the biomass production and nutrient removal compared in batch cultures. The maximum removal rate of N and P was with an N : P ratio of 16 : 1. Plus, the turbidity dropped to near zero within 4 days. Meanwhile, chemostat cultivation showed that the biomass productivity and nutrient removal rate increased when increasing the dilution rate, where a dilution rate of $0.9d^{-1}$ showed the highest N and P removal rate at $32.4mg\;L^{-1}\;d^{-1}$ and $1.83mg\;L^{-1}\;d^{-1}$, respectively, and highest biomass and lipid productivity at $0.432g\;L^{-1}\;d^{-1}$ and $67.8mg\;L^{-1}\;d^{-1}$, respectively. The turbidity was also reduced by 98% in the chemostat cultivation. Moreover, auto-flocculation and pH were closely connected to the turbidity removal. As a result, this study identified the optimal N : P ratio for small pond water treatment using an Ettlia sp. YC001, while also establishing the optimal conditions for nutrient removal, turbidity reduction, and biomass production.