Optimization and kinetic studies of aquaculture effluent bioremediation using Chlorococcum sp.

Abstract

This study explores the bioremediation potential of Chlorococcum sp. in treating aquaculture wastewater by optimizing light intensity and nutrient concentrations to enhance biomass production and nutrients removal. Polynomial regression and kinetic models were applied to determine the optimal conditions for maximum growth and substrate uptake. The results demonstrated high predictive accuracy, with R² values of 0.997 for biomass growth, 0.980 for total nitrogen (TN) removal, 0.990 for total phosphorus (TP) removal, and 0.991 for chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction. The Monod and Michaelis-Menten models revealed substrate saturation effects, identifying an optimal light intensity range of 100–120 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹ , beyond which photoinhibition was observed. Under optimized conditions, Chlorococcum sp. achieved TN, TP, and COD removal rates of 0.4639 mg/L/day, 0.0638 mg/L/day, and 5.1336–5.1967 mg/L/day, respectively. These findings establish a sustainable framework for using Chlorococcum sp. in aquaculture wastewater treatment, supporting circular economy principles through integrated biomass production and nutrient recovery.