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STUDY OF MICROALGAE BIOFIXATION FOR
CARBON CAPTURE AND UTILIZATION (CCU)
ABSTRACT Poster
RESEARCH BACKGROUND
To control global warming within 1.5-2 C relative to the pre-industrial level, a more
o
aggressive target for reduction in the absolute amount of CO2 emission should be
achieved by 2030. Otherwise, a more severe climate change would be expected. In this
study, the approach to carbon capture for utilization (CCU) will be investigated by using
green microalgae to remove CO2 from the atmosphere through biofixation process.
The microalgae biomass can then be collected and further converted into biofuel for
electricity generation. Parameters like pH of culture medium, CO2 level, and nutrient
YAU TSZ YEE JASMINE content required for optimal microalgae growth would be determined.
BEng (Hons) in Environmental METHODOLOGY
Engineering and Management A marine green microalgae Tetraselmis sp. was cultivated for 14-21 days using 100
Department of Construction, mL culture medium and the growth rate under different parameters was determined by
Environment and Engineering using total cell count, cell density (OD600nm), and dried biomass.
The effect of CO2 level on microalgae growth was studied by feeding different amount
of pure CO2 gas into culture medium.
OBJECTIVES
FINDINGS
Nutrients of microalgae can be easily Results showed an enhanced growth rate of microalgae in the optimal pH range of 7.8-
obtained from wastewater during the 9.5. A change in pH would significantly inhibit the growth, thus pH control is critical.
tertiary treatment process. This study The CO2 captured can be used as the sole carbon source for microalgae biomass
formation, and an optimal CO2 levels of 6.7-20% showed growth enhancement.
investigated the effects of different Essential nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphate had demonstrated to be the critical
cultivation parameters to achieve higher factors for microalgae growth. Therefore, microalgae can be applied to achieve the
growth rate of microalgae and higher targets of CCU and nutrient removal in wastewater treatment.
level of CO2 removal.
ABOUT THE INVESTIGATOR
I am Jasmine YAU studying Environmental Engineering and Management. I am
interested in wastewater treatment design and carbon emission reduction. I hope
to contribute to these areas after graduation and equip myself to be a professional
environmental engineer in the future. Under the supervision of Dr. CHAN Cho Yin, I
conducted a carbon removal research study by using microalgae, which is a promising
and environmentally friendly method for reaching carbon neutrality and sustainable
growth in the coming future.
18 Student Applied Research Presentations 2024 Student Applied Research Presentations 2024
