Simultaneous Growth of Spirulina platensis and Removal of Hardness in Van Lake Water

In this study, batch experiments were carried out to investigate simultaneous growth of Spirulina platensis and removal of hardness in the Van Lake Water (VLW). Laboratory-scale studies showed ample Spirulina growth observed in VLW when exposed to light. Spirulina was the only algal specimen inoculated in the water during the study. VLW percentages were varied between 0.1 and 100% while pH values were 8.710.42 in the flasks. On a dry-weight basis the biomass concentration was 1.18gL(-1) at pH 10 after 17 days of incubation in the VLW. The increase of pH to above 10.38 associated with Spirulina growth resulted in the precipitation of hardness causing compounds while providing 70% hardness removal from the VLW medium. Experimental results indicated that the proposed method can be used to design batch systems for producing S. platensis and removal of hardness from the VLW.