Growth Performance and Nutrient Removal Efficiency of Chlorella Vulgaris in Fish Wastewater for the Cuban Agro-Industrial Sector

Purpose The study aimed to evaluate the growth capacity and nutrient removal efficiency of Chlorella vulgaris in fish wastewater (FWW) and Bold's Basal (BB) medium as a control. The research question was whether C. vulgaris could grow and remove nutrients in FWW effectively. Methods The experiment was conducted under controlled conditions in a climatic chamber. C. vulgaris was grown in FWW and BB medium. Cell counting, optical density, and dry weight were measured daily. The nutrient removal efficiency was determined by analysing total nitrogen (TN) and phosphate (P-PO ₄ ³⁻ ) concentrations. Results The growth of C. vulgaris in both media was gradual, with an exponential phase from day 2 to 10 in BB medium and from day 4 to 10 in FWW. TN removal reached 89.5% in BB and 92.1% in FWW, while P-PO ₄ ³⁻ removal was 78.9% in BB and 84.2% in FWW. Conclusion C. vulgaris demonstrated efficient growth and nutrient removal in fish wastewater, making it a promising candidate for wastewater treatment and biomass production in the Cuban agro-industrial sector.