Algae cultivation Using Flue gas

[greengold09]

If algal cells store these heavy metals.. then algal meal from such cement plants may not be used as feeds... Is there any reported heavy metal contamination in animals because pf algal foods?

[guru]

Yes, There are several reported heavy metal contamination in human as well as animal foods made from algae cultivated in industrial effluents....A study on "Heavy metal, total arsenic, and inorganic arsenic contents of algae food products" analyzed arsenic, inorganic arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury contents of 18 algae food products sold in Spain.

See:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11829668

[greengold09]

Is there any way by which we can separate these heavy metals from algae? If such heavy metal contaminated algal meal cannot be used as feeds what are the other options available... this may not even be used as fertilizer as they contaminate soil...

[sendalan]

FYI

If some algae can live in the hot soup coming from Yellowstone with it's toxic brine then they can live anywhere.

I think that if you want to produce oil-from-algae then you first look for the type of algae that can consistently do that the best under the conditions you can provide. If toxic metal ions are going to be a problem then you take them out at the bag house or other approiate treatment.

What do you think?

Alan

[Asen Nenov]

If any parameter of a treated system is toxic for the chosen algae species/strain, it could be removed at a previous stage. It can be done both chemically or biotechnologically by other type of microorganism.

[guru]

So It looks like we should Remove heavy metals from the sewage before adding algae
I must check for any research attempts made to concentrate these heavy metals from sewage.... may be thats the only option..
can you think of any thing other ways?

[greengold09]

Hi,
Well........ why can't these heavy metal contaminated algae meal used as fertilizer?

[guru]

Using sewage directly as fertilizer possess the same problem of heavy metal contamination in soil... These heavy metals in soil is again concentrated in plant roots which in turn affects human...

So Heavy metals in these fertilizers also enters food/feed indirectly and again causes the same problem.. So it cannot be used as feed or food or fertilizer..

[phyco]

the best thing to do is to remove these heavy metal using bacteria ..

I read that the role of heavy metals in micro organism is of four ways 1. It may be used as trace metal for normal metabolism 2. It may act as a toxin for microbes 3. It can be concentrated inside the microbial cells or 4. It can be converted into organic form from inorganic form.

To remove the metals completely we should either use organism which uses these metals as nutrient or they should convert the metals into organic form..

To me the best thing is to use microorganism for heavy metal treatment rather than chemicals...

[guru]

You guys have any idea about the rate of bio-accumulation of heavy metals in algal cells..