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Shining a light on outdoor algal systems for wastewater treatment: How artificial light enhancement impacts biomass costs and life cycle

2025-09Journal article Open access
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datacite.subject.fosEngenharia e Tecnologia::Biotecnologia Ambiental
datacite.subject.fosEngenharia e Tecnologia::Outras Engenharias e Tecnologias
datacite.subject.sdg12:Produção e Consumo Sustentáveis
dc.contributor.authorMagalhães, Iara
dc.contributor.authorJesus Junior, Maurino Magno
dc.contributor.authorFrança, Bruna Thomazinho
dc.contributor.authorSilva, Thiago
dc.contributor.authorSaleme Aona de Paula Pereira, Alexia
dc.contributor.authorSouza, Lucas Cescon de Almeida
dc.contributor.authorRodrigues, Fábio de Ávila
dc.contributor.authorReis, Alberto
dc.contributor.authorPeixoto Assemany, Paula
dc.contributor.authorCalijuri, Maria Lucia
dc.date.accessioned2025-12-10T11:48:01Z
dc.date.available2025-12-10T11:48:01Z
dc.date.issued2025-09
dc.description.abstractABSTRACT: Microalgae-based wastewater treatment is increasingly viewed as a cleaner production strategy, combining nutrient removal and biomass generation for high-value applications. However, productivity constraints remain a critical barrier to broader implementation. This study examines the viability of integrating light-emitting diodes (LEDs) into outdoor bubble column reactors for domestic wastewater treatment and biomass production, focusing on environmental impacts and techno-economic performance. Three lighting regimes—natural light only (control), 12-h LED cycles, and 24-h LED cycles—were experimentally evaluated and scaled up using Aspen Plus® simulation. Life cycle assessments (LCA) were conducted to quantify environmental impacts (ReCiPe, 2016 method), and a detailed techno-economic analysis determined minimum biomass selling prices. Compared to the control, LED-assisted systems increased biomass yields by 24–34 %, yet capital and operational costs offset productivity gains. Under grid electricity, minimum selling prices considering capital and operational costs ranged from 80.76 to 91.37 USD/kg for LED systems versus 68.85 USD/kg for the control. Photovoltaic (PV) integration reduced operational costs by up to 16.89 %, but LED scenarios remained more expensive. LCA findings highlighted substantially higher environmental impacts (78–149 times) for LED systems, partly alleviated by PV-powered operations. Sensitivity analysis identified nutrient availability, process scale, and reactor costs as pivotal factors influencing the feasibility of LED-enhanced wastewater treatment. Overall, while LED technology offers notable productivity benefits, its economic and environmental trade-offs underscore the need for integrated approaches—ranging from material innovations to policy incentives—to achieve truly sustainable wastewater-based microalgal production.eng
dc.identifier.citationMagalhães, I., Jesus Jr, M., França, B., Silva, T., Pereira, A., Souza, L., Rodrigues, F., Reis, A., Assemany, P., & Calijuri, M.L. (2025). Shining a light on outdoor algal systems for wastewater treatment: How artificial light enhancement impacts biomass costs and life cycle. In: Journal of Environmental Management, 2025, vol. 391, article 126510. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126510
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.126510
dc.identifier.issn0301-4797
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.9/6158
dc.language.isoeng
dc.peerreviewedyes
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.relation.hasversionhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479725024867?pes=vor&utm_source=clarivate&getft_integrator=clarivate
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectMicroalgae
dc.subjectProcess scale-up challenges
dc.subjectEnvironmental impacts
dc.subjectLife cycle assessment
dc.subjectWastewater treatment
dc.subjectPV Systems
dc.titleShining a light on outdoor algal systems for wastewater treatment: How artificial light enhancement impacts biomass costs and life cycleeng
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.titleJournal of Environmental Management
oaire.citation.volume391
oaire.versionhttp://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85
person.familyNameMagalhães
person.familyNameJesus Junior
person.familyNameFrança
person.familyNameSilva
person.familyNameSaleme Aona de Paula Pereira
person.familyNameReis
person.familyNamePeixoto Assemany
person.familyNameCalijuri
person.givenNameIara
person.givenNameMaurino Magno
person.givenNameBruna Thomazinho
person.givenNameThiago
person.givenNameAlexia
person.givenNameAlberto
person.givenNamePaula
person.givenNameMaria Lucia
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-0802-5996
person.identifier.orcid0000-0003-3943-0641
person.identifier.orcid0000-0003-4931-9672
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-6108-8793
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-0720-5098
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-1405-9981
person.identifier.orcid0000-0001-7596-7804
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-0918-2475
person.identifier.ridAAU-5692-2020
person.identifier.ridAAW-5853-2020
person.identifier.ridE-1248-2014
person.identifier.ridG-1546-2012
person.identifier.scopus-author-id57217314435
person.identifier.scopus-author-id57218439017
person.identifier.scopus-author-id57205642036
person.identifier.scopus-author-id55632236000
person.identifier.scopus-author-id57204744399
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