A Study on The Optimization of Culture Conditions using NPK, A Commercial Fertilizer for Increase in the Biomass of Microalgae, Scenedesmus Bujigatus

Abstract

Algal biomass is rich in all the required nutrients for human body and acts as food as   well as medicine in the treatment of a number of therapeutic and chemo preventive diseases. Algae are capable of enhancing nutrient contents of the conventional human food. This may be assigned to their healthy and balanced chemical composition. The current study aims to investigate the light absorption characteristics of the microalgae, Scenedesmus bujigatus using wavelength sensitivity analysis. The algal biomass was increased by an enrichment protocol using the commercial fertilizer NPK that was added to the growth medium namely  tap water, as two grams once in two days. The culture grown without the enrichment protocol served as control biomass. Algae were harvested during the exponential phase and were subjected to Wavelength Sensitivity Analysis. The biomass growth range was between 0- 300 mg-dry wt/L and the investigation was extended in the Electromagnetic Spectrum range of 200-800 nm. A correlation was developed between the absorbance and the micro algal biomass (mg-dry wt/L). It was discovered that Scenedesmus bujigatus had a maximum absorption at UVC, blue and red regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Accordingly, a new biomass transducer may be designed for further studies to increase the Algal Biomass of Scenedesmus bujigatus.