Keywords
vinasse
digestate
biomass
depuration
How to Cite
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the growth and removal of organic and mineral contaminants by Chlorella sp. cultivated in vinasse from ethanol production and digestate from biogas generation. Materials and Methods: Two liquid substrates—vinasse and digestate—were used at 50 % and 100 % concentrations. Cultures were maintained under controlled aeration, light, and temperature conditions. A Plackett–Burman design and a full factorial 2² design were applied to identify significant variables. Cell density, chlorophyll content, dry biomass, and the removal of COD, BOD₅, K, Ca, and Mg were determined. Results and Discussion: Vinasse supported higher microalgal growth, yielding 4.42 g/L of biomass and removals of 61.5 % COD and 36.9 % BOD₅. In contrast, digestate showed lower depuration efficiency due to nutritional limitations. The highest removal fraction corresponded to potassium (0.85325 mg/L), while calcium and magnesium exhibited partial removals likely related to surface adsorption phenomena. Conclusions: Chlorella sp. cultivated in distillery vinasse demonstrated high potential for the purification of agro-industrial effluents and biomass generation. The process represents a sustainable alternative to integrate bioremediation and biotechnological production within circular bioeconomy system.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Reni Danilo Vinocunga-Pillajo, Ana Celia de Armas Martínez, Erenio González Suárez, Viatcheslav Kafarov, Estela Guardado Yordi, Amaury Pérez Martínez