Recent life cycle assessments (LCAs) have suggested that coupling algae cultivation with municipal wastewater treatment could dramatically improve the sustainability outlook for algae-derived fuels by eliminating the need for energy-intensive virgin fertilizers. This work explores the extent to which algae-mediated effluent polishing might also mediate estrogen removal during mass culture in �raceway pond� systems. Removal efficiencies of more than 95% were achieved in less than 24 h during preliminary investigations of 17�-estradiol (E2) removal for conditions simulating outdoor cultivation of Scenedesmus dimorphus (C0 = 4 �g/L). Positive controls comprising E2 in minimal growth medium rule out strictly photolytic removal (<15%). Additional experiments with autoclave-deactivated algae biomass and various irradiation cycling will further characterize the nature of removal for E2 (apportioning among photolysis vs. biotransformation vs. sorption) and structurally similar estrogenic compounds. This information will pave the way for further research into algae-derived transformation of emerging wastewater contaminants.

Algae-mediated wastewater effluent polishing: Characterizing estrogen removal reactions

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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