Modelling microalgal activity as a function of inorganic carbon concentration: accounting for the impact of pH on the bicarbonate system

摘要

The aim of this study is to develop a generic model that can predict algal photosynthetic activity as a function of total inorganic carbon and pH, which will assist in the design and operation of algal culture systems. This is important as the availability of inorganic carbon plays a critical role in algal growth and product accumulation, and in practice, pH is not constant in an algal culture. Hence, such a model will assist in predicting and understanding carbon limitation in algae growth and product accumulation systems. The model builds on published work on inorganic carbon uptake in natural algal systems and extends it to systematically account for wide pH and total inorganic carbon ranges. This study develops and validates a simple model which integrates a summative carbon dioxide and bicarbonate Monod kinetic relationship with inorganic carbon equilibrium chemistry. This is the first time that the algal photosynthetic oxygen production rate has been described as a function of both total inorganic carbon and pH. The model was tested against published and experimental data over an extended pH and total inorganic carbon range. Kinetic parameters estimated by the model match those presented in the literature. The Chlorella alga tested in the experiments showed little affinity for bicarbonate which agrees with previous observations for this alga.