Utilization of CO2 captured from the coal-fired flue gas by catalyst - adsorption method for growing Spirulina having high nutritive value

Abstract

CO₂ is very important greenhouse gas and burning coal process produces mainly CO₂ and other accompanied gases (NO_x, SO_x, H_xC_y, CO,…). The microalgae and cyanobacteria are capable of using free CO₂ and bicarbonate ions as a source of inorganic carbon during photosynthesis. In this study, CO₂ gas in range of 4-7% was captured selectively by a special equipment using a catalyst-adsorption system and stored for growing Spirulina platensis after effective removing the accompanied gases presented in the flue gas.

The obtained research results indicated that the recuperated CO₂ content was proved to be good carbon source for growth of a Cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis. The growth of Spirulina platensis in the modified Zarrouk’s medium supplied with this CO₂ source was highest while biomass quality of Spirulina platensis using CO₂ collected from the coal-firing process was almost equivalent to that of the Cyanobacterium grown in nutritive medium supplied with pure CO₂ source.