A Comparative Study on Various Pretreatment Methods of Anaerobic Digestion Piggery Effluent for Microalgae Cultivation

Anaerobic digestion piggery effluent (ADPE), dark brown with high turbidity and ammonium, inhibits algal growth and requires pretreatment for cultivation. This study compared various physical/biological pretreatment methods for microalgae cultivation. The results showed that the strategy of 10%ADPE fungal cultivation (10%AF) pretreatment and subsequent microalgae cultivation achieved maximum specific growth rate (0.094 d−1) with productivity (0.014 g L−1 d−1) and significant nutrient removal: 100% ammonium nitrogen, 99% total nitrogen, 63% total phosphorus, 91% chemical oxygen demand. However, the pathogenic fungus used poses safety risks, requiring future screening of eco-friendly alternatives. This study demonstrated that the strategy could be a promising approach to algal biomass production and nutrient removal from ADPE.