Harvesting Microalgae by Chitosan as Sustainable Biopolymer

Abstract

: This study aimed to use the organic polymer, chitosan, as a floc-culant for harvesting microalgae Chlorella. sp . Various polymer concentrations were tested. Within three min, 50 mg/L of chitosan showed the highest efficiency (98.9±0.5%), at pH 6.3, while the lowest efficiency (86.7±0.5%) was observed at pH 7.5. Harvesting efficiency in this study was chitosan concentration dependent. The present study showed that chitosan can be a promising and sustainable solution as an organic source and environmentally friendly flocculant. Additionally, it has excellent harvest productivity and requires minimum effort for quick outcomes.