BEIJING: Chinese scientists have discovered a new strain of microalgae — microscopic, single-cell photosynthetic organisms that produce oxygen — capable of absorbing 90 per cent of the greenhouse gas and industrial fumes that are components of smog, while producing high-quality algae oil for a wide range of products.

Wang Qiang, the lead scientist behind the project at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Hydrobiology, said the microalgae have recently entered a test phase for cleaning emissions produced by the refineries of Sinopec, China’s largest oil and gas company.

“Our microalgae’s highest consumption efficiency for nitrogen oxides — a key ingredient for smog — can reach around 96 percent,” he said. “This new microalgae can greatly reduce industrial emissions and curb air pollution in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way.”

A traditional nitrogen oxide removal installation requires high energy and pressure, and has an annual cost of about 640,000 yuan ($98,000) to remove one metric ton of gas.

But tests show the algae-based cleansing method is safer, requires less energy and produces algae biomass that can be used and sold for more than 210,000 yuan a ton, he said.

“Once the microalgae population grows to a certain volume, we can extract the oil from the microorganisms to produce biofuel, fish feed, fertilisers, health supplements and a wide range of products,” Wang said.

For example, DHA is a common substance traditionally extracted from fish oil that can be added to infant formula to promote healthy brain growth. However, companies are extracting the same ingredient from microalgae to reduce overfishing and to avoid potential contaminants found in fish oil due to pollution, he said.

China Daily

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2017