Combating environmental challenges with nature’s help, Turkmen scientists are making strides in “green” wastewater treatment using microalgae. 2023 saw promising experiments demonstrating the effectiveness of these microscopic plants in cleaning collector and drainage waters, even those burdened with pollutants.
Ovezdurdy Djumadurdiyev, a Senior researcher at the Renewable Energy Research and Production Center of the State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan (Mary), Candidate of Technical Sciences, highlighted the remarkable resilience of microalgae. In an interview with the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper, he discussed the potential of these plants.
“Microalgae, with their high organic matter and oil waste absorption, remove harmful elements like biogens, heavy metals, and pesticides naturally,” explains Dzhumadurdyev. This not only prevents water pollution but also restores aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity.
The rapid growth of microalgae, doubling their biomass every five hours under ideal conditions, offers a sustainable option for water treatment. Their adaptability to extreme environments, including arid regions, adds to their appeal.
The green mass produced by microalgae is rich with amino acids, vitamins, proteins, and other biologically active substances. This opens doors to various applications, including animal feed, biofertilizers, vermicompost, and biofuels.
Chosen for its antibiotic properties, chlorella effectively eliminates harmful bacteria. Its cultivation is simple, requiring only ponds, pools, or greenhouses. Djumadurdiyev estimates that treating “dead” salt marshes with chlorella for five to six years could reclaim them for agricultural use.
Other aquatic plants hold promise for wastewater treatment in Turkmenistan. Studies on tropical and subtropical plants like Eichhornia, Pistia stratiotes, and Azolla show their potential to purify reservoirs and provide feed for livestock.
Thus, the combined cultivation of all these plants allow for enriching the stagnant wastewater reservoirs with oxygen, freeing them from organic and mineral substances, heavy metals, microscopic fungi.
These plants in ponds can significantly improve water quality within ten days.
Microalgae offer an eco-friendly solution for fertilizer use in rice cultivation.
“In our country, the rice is cultivated at the fields of the Lebap and Dashoguz provinces in the middle and lower reaches of the Amu Darya. The yield of rice here is 45-50 kg/ha per year, but to achieve this result it is necessary to use fertilizers, including nitrogen, as well as a lot of water. The use of azolla will reduce the cost of fertilizers, slow down the process of evaporation of irrigation moisture from the fields,” Djumadurdiyev said. ///nCa, 18 January 2024