Phycoremediation of automobile exhaust gases using green microalgae: a twofold advantage for pollutant removal and concurrent biomass/lipid yields

Abstract

Abstract In the present study, an effort has been made to sequester automobile exhaust gases from a petroleum based engine using microalgae Scenedesmus quadricauda. The automobile selected for the present study was a two wheeler motorcycle. S. quadricauda was subjected to un-suspended/attached non-enclosure cultivation onto a silicone matrix coated stainless steel pipe, protracted to the motorcycle silencer outlet through which, the exhaust gases passed out. The automobile exhaust gases initially contained 13% of carbon dioxide, 2.4% of carbon monoxide, 0.2% of nitric oxide, 0.08% of nitrogen dioxide, 0.1% of sulfur dioxide and 0.05% of sulfur trioxide concentrations, which were removed up to 62, 57, 65, 66, 64 and 65% respectively by S. quadricauda from the attached growth experiment. The present study results showed that the exhaust gases played a crucial role in inducing biomass and lipid yields up to ≥2 and ≥ 0.6 g L− 1 respectively. The tolerance of S. quadricauda to the exhaust gas components’ toxicity and its efficiency in treating them followed by the biomass and lipid productivities were better than anticipated in the present study.

Keywords

• Microalgae
• S. quadricauda
• Exhaust gas
• CO2
• NOx
• SOx