INVESTIGATION OF THE IMPACT OF NITROGEN OXIDES ON THE CARBON DIOXIDE UPTAKE RATE BY CHLOROPHYLL-PRODUCING MICROALGAE IN THE AQUATIC HABITAT

As of today, humanity has to deal with a large number of environmental problems. Such problems include climate changes on Earth, which makes the worldwide scientific community and today’s world leaders of countries to raise the alarm. The impetus for the drawing of attention was the rapid rise in the earth temperature, threatening to raise the level of the World Ocean and cause catastrophic consequences in general. There are many ways to solve this problem, in particular, to reduce the concentration of CO2 by using biological methods for purification of industrial gas emissions with the involvement of photosynthetic properties of plant bodies.

Biological purification is based on the ability of microorganisms to include substances that cause environmental pollution in the metabolism schemes and use them for nutrition in their life process. Unlike other green plants, algae have a number of significant benefits. They grow 7-8 times faster, and, accordingly, absorb more concentrations of nitrogen oxide, and can adapt to extremely unfavorable conditions. Analyzing the composition of phytoplankton, scientists have investigated that carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus are present in it in an atomic ratio of 108:16:1. Thus, 108 molecules of CO2 are needed per one phosphorus atom (usually present in the form of hydrophosphate ion HPO4-2) and 16 nitrogen atoms (usually in the form of nitrate ion NO3-).

The influence of nitrogen oxides on the СО2 uptake rate by chlorophyll-producing microalgae was investigated. Experimental dependences of СО2 absorption by microalgae in relation to nitrogen oxide concentration were obtained. The mathematical model of growth of Chlorella type microalgae population depending on nitrogen oxides concentration was developed. On the basis of the mathematical model solution and the experimental data obtained, a chart of the dependence of CO2 absorption by microalgae of the Chlorella type, provided that nitrogen oxides are present, was plotted.   The calculated value of the nitrogen oxide optimum concentration for chlorophyll-producing microalgae growth was determined.

As of today, humanity has to deal with a large number of environmental problems. Such problems include climate changes on Earth, which makes the worldwide scientific community and today’s world leaders of countries to raise the alarm. The impetus for the drawing of attention was the rapid rise in the earth temperature, threatening to raise the level of the World Ocean and cause catastrophic consequences in general. There are many ways to solve this problem, in particular, to reduce the concentration of CO2 by using biological methods for purification of industrial gas emissions with the involvement of photosynthetic properties of plant bodies.

Biological purification is based on the ability of microorganisms to include substances that cause environmental pollution in the metabolism schemes and use them for nutrition in their life process. Unlike other green plants, algae have a number of significant benefits. They grow 7-8 times faster, and, accordingly, absorb more concentrations of nitrogen oxide, and can adapt to extremely unfavorable conditions. Analyzing the composition of phytoplankton, scientists have investigated that carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus are present in it in an atomic ratio of 108:16:1. Thus, 108 molecules of CO2 are needed per one phosphorus atom (usually present in the form of hydrophosphate ion HPO4-2) and 16 nitrogen atoms (usually in the form of nitrate ion NO3-).

The influence of nitrogen oxides on the СО2 uptake rate by chlorophyll-producing microalgae was investigated. Experimental dependences of СО2 absorption by microalgae in relation to nitrogen oxide concentration were obtained. The mathematical model of growth of Chlorella type microalgae population depending on nitrogen oxides concentration was developed. On the basis of the mathematical model solution and the experimental data obtained, a chart of the dependence of CO2 absorption by microalgae of the Chlorella type, provided that nitrogen oxides are present, was plotted.   The calculated value of the nitrogen oxide optimum concentration for chlorophyll-producing microalgae growth was determined.