Factors affecting seasonal variation of membrane filtration resistance caused by Chlorella algae

A seasonal fluctuation pattern was observed in membrane filtration resistance by Chlorella algae cultured in open ponds in the tropical environment. In order to investigate the causes of this phenomenon, Chlorella was cultivated under controlled conditions and the cake resistance was measured by batch filtration in dead-end mode. The filtration resistance was found to be a function of environmental conditions. Algae could grow favourably and offered low specific cake resistance (Rcs) on the order of 1011 m/g for the culture temperature from 28°C to 35°C. The algal growth was inhibited and the specific cake resistance increased to the order of 1012 m/g below or above this optimum temperature range. Strong solar radiation, coupled with high temperatures, also inhibited the growth of algae and resulted in higher specific cake resistance. The specific cake resistance of algae cultured at different temperatures increased with the amount of the extracellular organic matter (EOM) extracted by 0.1 N NaOH. Hence EOM, rather than bacteria present in the mono-algal culture, was considered to be the primary factor affecting the cake resistance. The specific cake resistance increased drastically after actively growing cells were stored in nutrient-free water under dark conditions. However, the resistance was slightly decreased when the algal cells were stored in NSIII nutrient media in a dark room, indicating the effect of nutrient availability on the change of the specific cake resistance under the light-limiting conditions. EOM extracted from the cells kept in the nutrient-free water contained less sugar than the fresh culture, whereas the EOM extracted from the cells stored in the NSIII media contained more sugar. The molecular distribution of the EOM shifted from below 1,000 kDa before storage to more than 2,000 kDa after storage in both the nutrient-free and NSIII media.