For those working to improve nutrient-polluted rivers, lakes and coasts
Lakes, bays and rivers with too much nitrogen and phosphorus suffer cyanobacterial blooms, red tides and bottom-water hypoxia, which affect fisheries, tourism and water use. Novelgen is researching and developing technology that takes in water from the water body or its inflowing rivers, has selected microalgae take up nitrogen and phosphorus inside a closed system, recovers them as biomass, and returns the treated water.
Talk to us about this industryCurrent stage
Research & development stage (seeking partners for joint studies)
Treating water from natural water bodies in a closed system so that algae recover its nutrients is at the research and development stage. Its effect in real water bodies will be confirmed through future evaluation. We start with lab evaluation of water samples and joint studies with water-body managers, local governments and fisheries stakeholders.
Challenges in this industry
Cyanobacterial blooms and red tides
In lakes and enclosed bays with excess nitrogen and phosphorus, algae and cyanobacteria proliferate, making cyanobacterial blooms and red tides more likely. Some species produce toxins.
Bottom-water hypoxia
When the extra algae sink and decompose, oxygen in bottom waters is consumed, spreading areas where fish and shellfish struggle to survive.
Impacts on fisheries, tourism and water use
Losses in aquaculture, effects of scenery and odour on tourism, and lower quality of drinking-water sources can follow.
Many sources, slow remedies
Nutrients flow in from many sources, such as domestic wastewater, farmland and livestock, so tackling each source takes time and money.
What Novelgen can offer
Nutrient recovery in a closed system
We aim to take in water from the water body or inflowing rivers, have algae take up nitrogen and phosphorus inside Bloomo’s closed culture tanks, and recover them as biomass. No algae are released into the water body.
See details →Selected non-toxic algae only
We use microalgae selected after confirming that they do not produce toxins. We do not cultivate the toxin-producing cyanobacteria that cause harmful blooms.
See details →Deciding how recovered biomass is used
Uses are decided by the characteristics of the source water and the legal standards for feed and fertilizer. We analyse for heavy metals and other contaminants and consider only uses that meet the standards.
See details →Evidence and public information
Peer-reviewed reviews describe how eutrophication drives mass growth of algae and cyanobacteria that affects ecosystems, fisheries, tourism and drinking water, and how coastal eutrophication has spread bottom-water hypoxia. Managing both nitrogen and phosphorus is discussed as necessary for controlling eutrophication. Uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus by growing microalgae is widely reported in wastewater treatment. However, lake and sea water has lower nutrient concentrations and larger volumes than wastewater, so efficiency in this use must be confirmed through our own evaluation case by case.
References
- Huisman J., Codd G.A., Paerl H.W., Ibelings B.W., Verspagen J.M.H., Visser P.M. Cyanobacterial blooms. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 2018, 16(8), 471–483. doi:10.1038/s41579-018-0040-1
- Anderson D.M., Cembella A.D., Hallegraeff G.M. Progress in understanding harmful algal blooms: paradigm shifts and new technologies for research, monitoring, and management. Annual Review of Marine Science, 2012, 4, 143–176. doi:10.1146/annurev-marine-120308-081121
- Diaz R.J., Rosenberg R. Spreading dead zones and consequences for marine ecosystems. Science, 2008, 321(5891), 926–929. doi:10.1126/science.1156401
- Conley D.J., et al. Controlling eutrophication: nitrogen and phosphorus. Science, 2009, 323(5917), 1014–1015. doi:10.1126/science.1167755
- Mohsenpour S.F., et al. Integrating micro-algae into wastewater treatment: A review. Science of the Total Environment, 2021, 752, 142168. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142168
How a PoC works
- STEP 1
Discovery
We learn about the water body, the problems you face (blooms, red tides, hypoxia, etc.), inflowing rivers and discharges, and existing water-quality surveys.
- STEP 2
Lab evaluation
Using water samples from the water body or inflowing rivers, we check whether the selected algae grow and how much nitrogen and phosphorus they take up.
- STEP 3
Trial planning
We plan a small-scale trial, including intake and return methods, site, required procedures and coordination with stakeholders.
- STEP 4
Small-scale trial and evaluation
We run a trial in a closed system and evaluate changes in water quality and the composition and safety of the recovered biomass.
What to prepare
- Water-quality survey data for the water body (total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chlorophyll a, dissolved oxygen, temperature, etc., as available)
- History of blooms or red tides (timing, location and, if known, the causative species)
- Water samples (from the water body, inflowing rivers, etc.)
- Candidate sites and conditions for water intake, return and power
- Stakeholders who need to be consulted (water-body managers, fisheries, etc.)
Frequently asked questions
- Does it remove blooms or red tides directly?
- No. It is not a device for collecting and removing blooms or red tides once they occur. The aim is to recover the nitrogen and phosphorus that cause them, using selected algae inside a closed system.
- Could algae escape into the water body?
- The algae are grown inside closed culture tanks and are not released into the water body. We aim to separate the algae before returning the treated water, and the separation method and verification steps are evaluated during trials.
- Could toxin-producing algae be cultivated?
- We use strains confirmed not to produce toxins, and we do not cultivate toxin-producing cyanobacteria. Because the intake water naturally contains various algae, pre-treatment and monitoring methods are also part of the evaluation.
- Can the recovered algae be used as feed?
- Uses are decided by the characteristics of the source water and the standards of Japan’s feed safety and fertilizer quality laws. We analyse for heavy metals and other contaminants and consider only uses that meet the standards. We do not collect naturally occurring blooms or red tides to use as feed.
- How much cleaner will the water get?
- We aim to reduce the nitrogen and phosphorus behind blooms and red tides and to use the recovered nutrients as resources. The size of the effect depends on how much water can be treated, the size of the water body and its nutrient inflow. We cannot give figures at this stage.
- Do you have a track record?
- This is currently at the research and development stage. We accept joint studies starting from lab evaluation of water samples.
Note: this page is an overview based on public information. Technical details such as strains, cultivation conditions and individual test data are shared after a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is signed.
Related pages
Aquaculture & seedling production
Stable supply of feed microalgae and land-based short-term fattening of oysters and other bivalves.
Agriculture & fertilizer
Co-development of fertilizer feedstock and soil amendments from algal biomass.
Industrial wastewater
Purify nitrogen- and phosphorus-rich industrial effluent with algae and recover it as a resource.
Anaerobic digestion (digestate)
Recover nitrogen and phosphorus from biogas-plant digestate with microalgae.
Talk to us about rivers, lakes and coasts
You don’t need to have narrowed down the water body or the issue. Start by sharing your water-quality data or the problem you face.
Talk to us about this industry