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4483518 
Journal Article 
Long term outdoor operation of a tubular airlift pilot photobioreactor and a high rate algal pond as tertiary treatment of urban wastewater 
Arbib, Z; Ruiz, J; Alvarez-Diaz, P; Garrido-Perez, C; Barragan, J; Perales, JA 
2013 
Yes 
Ecological Engineering
ISSN: 0925-8574 
Elsevier B.V., P.O. Box 211 Amsterdam 1000 AE Netherlands 
52 (March 2013) 
143-153 
WOS:000316827200018 
530 L high rate alga pond (HRAP) and 380 L airlift tubular photobioreactor (TPBR) were operated and compared in a urban wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), with the main purpose of removing nitrogen and phosphorous from the effluent of the WWTP while generating a valuable biomass. The photosynthetic activity in TPBR was during entire experiment higher than HRAP. The maximum areal productivity reached was 8.26 plus or minus 1.43 and 21.76 plus or minus 0.3 g SS m super(-2) d super(-1) for HRAP and TPBR respectively. Total nitrogen (TN) removal averaged 89.68 plus or minus 3.12 and 65.12 plus or minus 2.87% for TPBR and HRAP respectively, while for total phosphorus (TP) TPBR and HRAP averaged 86.71 plus or minus 0.61 and 58.78 plus or minus 1.17% respectively. The lipid content showed no significant differences (p < 0.05) between HRAP and TPBR averaging 20.80 plus or minus 0.22 wt%. The main operating disadvantage of TPBR versus HRAP was the sever biofouling which forced to stop the experiment. Under the same conditions of operation TPBR was more limited at low temperatures than HRAP, and HRAP was more light limited than TPBR. 
Lipids; Pilots; Outdoor; Waste water; Effluents; Wastewater treatment; Productivity; Ponds