Microalgae Cultivation in Brewery Wastewater. Evaluation of compatibility of microalgal strains with brewery effluents through the assessment of biomass production and nutrient removal

Microalgae have been proven efficient in removing nutrients (ammonium, nitrates, and phosphates) from municipal and agro-industrial wastewater, providing algal biomass that can be employed for the production of biofuels, pigments, bioplastics, and more. However, few studies exist investigating the efficiency of microalgae in treating brewery wastewater. The present work represents the initial screening phase of a greater project that aims to assess the feasibility of a tertiary treatment of brewery wastewater employing microalgae. Biomass growth, ammonium removal, and COD variation have been measured to evaluate the suitability of the selected microalgal strains to be cultivated in effluents sampled at different points of the wastewater treatment train of an industrial brewery. This step is intended to be a selection of the best-performing strain-effluent pairs which will be employed in the following scale-up tests.