Cover Letter
% of Nutrients the technology would recover ( put to use)
Nitrogen (N)
Phosphorus (P)
Type of waste streams
Raw manure
Manure with separated liquids and solids
Anaerobically digested manure (digestate)
Dairy
Pork
80%
60%
80%
60%
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Size of operation (e.g., 500-head dairy, 2000-head swine farm)
Any Size
Any Size
Type of manure collection system(s) for which the technology
would be compatible (e.g., flush system, scrape system, deep pit,
anaerobic lagoon, etc.)
Any type
Any type
2 to 20 Hectares /
5 to 50 Acres pond
per 1,000 cows.
Existing Ponds /
Lagoons can be used
1 to 10 Hectares /
2.5 to 25 Acres pond
per 1,000 Swine.
Existing Ponds /
Lagoons can be used
91,250
45,625
1 year
Nil
1 year
Nil
Diatom, Copepod,
Fish, Shrimp, Oyster
biomass
Diatom, Copepod,
Fish, Shrimp, Oyster
biomass
Aquaculture for Fish,
Shrimp, Oyster,
Copepod and Diatom
Biomass.
Neutraceutical,
pharmaceutical,
Dairy feed, Poultry
feed, aquaculture
feed and biofuels
Nil
136,875
50 to 100 hectares
2 to 20 hectares
Aquaculture for Fish,
Shrimp, Oyster,
Copepod and Diatom
Biomass.
Neutraceutical,
pharmaceutical,
Dairy feed, Poultry
feed, aquaculture
feed and biofuels
Nil
68,438
25 to 50 Hectares
1 to 10 Hectares
Expected capital cost for technology $
Expected operations & maintenance cost for technology $ per year
per 1000 head
Expected time to recoup return on investment (“ROI”) for the
technology
Type of nutrient product(s) generated by technology
Product generated by the Technology
Note: our technology will primarily use the nutrients onsite to
produce products, rather than recover them for use offsite.
Any identified markets for product(s) generated by technology
Expected Profit from Sale of products - Minimum $ per 1000 head
Expected Profit from Sale of products - Maximum $ per 1000 head
If the manure is used on crop land the land required per 1000 head
If the manure is used in ponds the land requirement per 1000 head
The land required for growing Diatoms, Copepods or Fish is lower since photosynthesis per Hectare is higher in
water than on land.
Land requirement for Diatom based solution varies depending on the desired end product –
Fish, Shrimp, Oysters, etc., require larger ponds, Zooplankton smaller ponds and only Diatoms even smaller ponds.
Executive Summary
This challenge seeks solutions for extraction of nutrients from manure, presumably for use as fertilizer to
grow crops. At present a lot of the manure is being transported for use in agriculture, but since the manure
is wet, the transportation is difficult and expensive. The manure from 5 to 6 cows can be used on about 1
acre of cropland. The manure is usually stored in lagoons in the CAFOs.
Our proposal is to use the manure in lagoons or ponds in the CAFOs to grow Diatom Algae, Zooplankton
and Fish. Nualgi is a tool to grow Diatoms and thus control the photosynthesis in water in a simple and
economical manner.
About 45% of the primary production on Earth takes place in water – lakes, rivers and oceans. About 50%
of this due to Diatom Algae. (David Mann http://tolweb.org/Diatoms/21810 ). The total amount of
Diatom production per year has been estimated to be 23 Billion tons of Carbon consumed per year, the
total amount of agriculture production is estimated to be about 8 Billion tons of Carbon consumed per
year. Thus natural diatom production is about 3 times agriculture. Agriculture production is the result of
huge investments in land, irrigation, fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, farm equipment, etc. However, there is
hardly any investment in Diatom production. Not many people are even aware of the role played by
Diatoms in aquatic ecology. Diatoms are brown in color in contrast to Cyanobacteria / Blue Green Algae
and Green Algae that are green. Diatoms are the natural food for fish, shrimp, oysters, etc. Waterways
with high diatom growth are clean, well oxygenated and have plenty of fish and waterways dominated by
BGA are eutrophic, have low dissolved oxygen and less fish, these may even suffer from mass fish kills
due to low dissolved oxygen.
Our product Nualgi is the only product in the world invented specifically to grow Diatoms in large ponds
and lakes, perhaps even in oceans.
The total amount of nutrients, N and P, from all the cattle and swine in USA is estimated at about 8.9
million tons of N and 1.8 million tons of P per year. If all this is used to grow fish, about 11 to 27 Million
tons of fish can be grown per year, the value of this would be about $ 11 to $27 Billion. This may be
compared to the import of about $ 19 Billion worth of fish, shrimp, etc. in 2014. If our proposal is
implemented by all CAFOs in USA, import of fish can be reduced substantially and USA can even
become a net exporter of fish.
USA exports Corn ( $ 11 Billion), Beef ($ 7 Billion) and Pork ($ 6 Billion) and imports fish meal, fish,
shrimp, etc ( ~ $ 19 Billion). About 40% of all the waters of USA, including Lake Erie and Chesapeake
Bay, are declared to be impaired (eutrophic) under the Clean Water Act and suffer from Algal blooms,
hypoxia, mass fish kills, etc. This indicates that management of photosynthesis on land is good but
management of photosynthesis in water is not. We propose that growing Diatoms in waterways is the
best practice to keeping them clean, well oxygenated and provide fish with live natural food.
The other algae based wastewater treatment solutions propose harvesting of the algal biomass, this is
expensive and hence they have not been successful. Our solution can be implemented immediately
without harvesting of the Diatom Algae, it is economical even without harvesting the algal biomass. If the
Diatoms are used to grow Fish, Shrimp, Oysters, etc., the cost can be recovered and perhaps earn a profit.
Technology to harvest the Diatom and Zooplankton biomass in an economical manner, can be developed
in future.
Diatom algae based nutrient recycling technology for dairy and pork industry
I. Summary
Controlling the input of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from dairies and other livestock operations into
the surrounding air- and water-sheds poses both technical and economic challenges to the agricultural
community. Recent estimates suggest that animal waste contributes 18% of the N and 25% of the P inputs
to the Chesapeake Bay (Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 2004) where water quality has declined
dramatically due to eutrophication (Horton and Eichbaum, 1991). Ecologically sound manure
management on farms is vital to minimize losses of valuable plant nutrients and to prevent nutrient
contamination of the surrounding watershed. The challenge for ecological engineering is to develop
technologies that can economically treat manure as a waste source and, ideally, transform it into a useful
byproduct.
Considering excess Nitrate and Phosphate as a resource not as a pollutant is a key in unlocking the
problems related with nutrient pollution. Harnessing solar energy to grow algal biomass on wastewater
nutrients and this biomass can be a source on which fish can be grown this could provide a holistic
solution to nutrient management problems at livestock operations. An algal treatment system concentrates
nutrients into lipid and protein rich biomass by cultivating algae in Natural ponds, oxidation ponds and
engineered ponds increasing the value and manageability of the nutrients. Harvesting algal biomass in
large lakes and ponds need high cost technologies which is not economically viable so these algae can be
converted to fish biomass by natural food chain were diatoms are consumed directly by some fish and
indirectly by diatoms to zooplankton and then to fish so the N and P can be converted to fish biomass by
totally natural mechanism. Algal biomass which can be harvestable in facilities suitable for
photobioreactors or ponds with harvesting feasibility contain a high-grade lipid and protein source, which
could be used to replace a portion of the protein content of animal feed imported onto the farm. Providing
feed usually amounts to 50% or more of the cost of producing milk (Johnson et al., 1991). In addition,
milk from dairy cows fed a diet supplemented with the marine alga Schizochytrium sp. showed an
increase in omega-3-fatty acid content, a characteristic that has potential for improving consumer health
(Franklin et al., 1999). In recent years, great attention has been devoted to the use of algae to produce
biofuels (Chisti 2007); it has been known for many decades that nutraceutical production can be of great
value (Constantine 1978, Lembi and Waaland 1988, Radmer 1996). However, aquatic algae have greater
photosynthetic potential than higher-trophic-level plants, and algae are also capable of using solar energy
to facilitate nutrient removal (of nitrogen [N], phosphorus [P], carbon dioxide) and injecting oxygen into
degraded waters (Beneman and Oswald 1996).
Our proposed technology “Nualgi Technology” is based on providing micro nutrients required for diatom
algae growth to speed up the nutrient removal in waste water and converting these nutrients to fish
biomass. Phytoplankton is the elementary producers of the pond which carry out photosynthesis,
converting the inorganic nutrients in the water into the organic nourishment needed for their growth and
reproduction. Fertilization with livestock manure will provide phytoplankton with the materials essential
for photosynthesis. As the phytoplankton photosynthesize and reproduce, zooplankton, which feed on
phytoplankton and flourish. In turn, the fish, which feed on zooplankton, phytoplankton, and benthos,
also flourish. This will lead to environmentally friendly way of converting the excess nutrients to fish
biomass.
In nature Diatom Algae account for about 50% of all primary production (photosynthesis) in waterways.
They are the most recently evolved phytoplankton, having evolved about 200 million years ago, in
contrast Cyanobacteria / Blue Green Algae are the first phytoplankton to have evolved about 3,500 mya
and Green Algae the first eukaryote phytoplankton evolved about 1,700 mya.
Our technology harnesses the enormous potential of diatom algae in eco-friendly removal and conversion
to fish biomass of excess of nutrients from waste water and in generation of valuable biomass for
economically important products. Our unique patented product Nualgi contains micronutrients along with
silica which is required for diatom growth, so it is consumed by Diatoms and triggers rapid growth
diatom algae in any waterway such as wastewater lagoon, ponds, lakes, rivers, esturaries, etc. By using
this unique product we want to solve the problem of excess nutrients in dairy and pork industry effluent.
Diatom algae are fast growers and they utilize any form of nitrate and phosphate as food there by
reducing the nutrient levels faster. By specifically triggering growth of one kind of algae we can control
the growth of other nuisance algae like Blue green algae and water weeds in ponds were treatment is
carried out instead of mixed cultures were one alga will dominate other algae. Diatom algae need less
sunlight than any other algae so they grow in total water column. To recycle the nutrients in effluent with
Nualgi technology we will use the existing water bodies like oxidation ponds, effluent treatment ponds,
natural ponds and lakes with excess nutrients in the vicinity of the source along with newly built ones
depending on the nutrient load and retention time required to remove nutrients by algae and subsequent
growth of fish. Income from sale of fish would be more than the cost of Nualgi used, so there would be a
profit. If biomass harvesting technology is feasible we can even generate biomass which can be used for
high value products like Omega 3 and fucoxanthin which are touted for their use in pharmaceutical and
neutraceutical industry. The biomass can also be used as a cost effective high nutrient feed additive in
Dairy and Aquaculture industry.
II. Technology Description and Objectives
Agricultural non-point source pollution has become a sensitive issue as regulations become stricter to
limit the contamination of groundwater and surrounding ecosystems. Increasing use of intensive animal
production has resulted in an excess of animal waste and has led to the imposition of these regulations on
dairy and pork farms. Dairy manure is commonly applied to adjacent agricultural or forested lands.
However, land application of animal waste is limited in its effectiveness because of the short time period
it can be applied each year, the large areas required to spread the manure, and the loss of N during storage
and application. These limitations increase possible transport of nutrients into the environment. A
potential alternative to land spreading of manure is to grow crops of algae and fish on the N and P present
in the manure and convert these nutrients into valuable biomass.
In dairy wastewaters, nitrogen originates mainly from milk proteins, and is either present in organic
nitrogen form such as proteins, urea and nucleic acids, or as ions such as NH+4, NO−2, and NO−3.
Phosphorus is found mainly in inorganic forms such as orthoactive phosphorus (PO3−4) and polyactive
phosphorus (P2O4 −7) as well as in organic forms also. Significant amount of Na, Cl, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, CO,
Ni, Mn are also always present in dairy wastewater. The presence of high concentration of Na and Cl is
due to the use of large amount of alkaline cleaners in dairy plant. Biological treatment involves microbial
degradation and oxidation of waste in the presence of oxygen. Conventional treatment of dairy
wastewater by aerobic processes includes processes such as activated sludge, trickling filters, aerated
lagoons, or a combination of these.
Oxidation ponds have been used to treat dairy-farm effluent. The use of oxidation ponds to treat dairy
farm effluent has resulted in major reductions in point source discharges of biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD5) and total suspended solids (TSS) to receiving waters. However, oxidation pond effluent quality is
extremely variable, both between systems and over time (Hickey et al. 1989). In particular, concentrations
of nutrients, faecal indicator bacteria and algal solids are often high in dairy-farm oxidation pond effluent.
Discharge of effluent from dairy-farm oxidation ponds can have several adverse impacts on receiving
waters. Elevated nutrient levels may contribute to eutrophication and proliferation of nuisance plant
growth.
In dairy manure effluent concentrations of ammonium-N, nitrate-N, total N (TN), soluble reactive
phosphorus, and total P (TP) were 306,<1, 1210, 311, and 303 mg L−1, respectively. There is considerable
literature on using dairy effluent for algae growth (Lincoln and Wilkie, 1995; Lincoln et al., 1996).
In pig manure effluent concentrations of ammonium-N, nitrate-N, total N (TN), soluble reactive
phosphorus, and total P (TP) were 920,<1, 1130, 330, and 340 mg L−1, respectively. There is considerable
literature on the treatment of raw and anaerobically digested swine manure effluent by immobilized algae
(Jimenez-Perez et al., 2004), algal cultures, (Ayala & Bravo, 1984) and suspended algae in high rate pond
systems (Olguin, 2003). The use of benthic algae for swine manure treatment is much less characterized,
but such systems are compelling because they yield an algal biomass that is easy to harvest at scales
appropriate to farm operations (Wilkie & Mulbry, 2002).
The size and concentration of cattle creates major environmental issues associated with manure handling
and disposal, which requires substantial areas of cropland. A ratio of 5 or 6 cows to the acre or several
thousand acres for big dairies for manure spreading and dispersion or several-acre methane digesters. Air
pollution from methane gas associated with manure management also is a major concern.
Although there is considerable research done on use of algae for nutrient removal from dairy and swine
effluent None of the algae technologies have been applied to nutrient recovery from dairy and swine
manure streams The objective of this proposal was to harness the ability of benthic freshwater diatom
algae to recover nutrients from dairy and swine manure using a unique patented micro nutrient mixture
which can trigger diatom algae in any water body and in the process conserve these nutrients in an algal
biomass which is used to grow zooplankton and fish and after harvesting diatom biomass it can also be
used as a feed supplement or other high value product.
Integrated Fish Farming is one of the best examples of mixed farming. This type of farming practices in
different forms mostly in the East and South East Asian countries is one of the important ecological
balanced sustainable technologies. The technology involves a combination of fish polyculture integrated
with crop or live stock production. On farm waste recycling, an important component of integrated fish
farming is highly advantageous to the farmers as it improves the economy of production and decrease the
adverse environmental impact of farming.
Fish culture can be integrated with several systems for efficient resource utilisation. The integration of
aquaculture with livestock or crop farming provides quality protein food, resource utilization, recycling of
farm waste, employment generation and economic development. Integrated fish farming is well
developed culture practice in China followed by Hungary, Germany and Malaysia. Our country, India, is
organic-based and derives inputs from agriculture and animal husbandry. The integrated fish farming is
accepted as a sustainable form of aquaculture. For integration we can use recycled effluents from agrobased industries as well as food processing plants. The fish-cum live-stock farming is realized as
innovation for recycling of organic wastes as well as production of high class protein at low cost.
FAO recommends use of manure in Aquaculture:
http://www.fao.org/docrep/field/003/ac264e/ac264e03.htm
The cow excreta is most abundant in terms of availability and a healthy cow may excrete over 40005000kg dung and 3500-4000 litre urine on an annual basis. The BOD of cow manure is lower than other
livestock manure. About 5 - 6 cows can provide adequate manure for 1 ha pond in which about 3,000 -
4,000 kg of fish can be grown annually. The dosage of Nualgi in 1 ha pond would be about 1liter per
week, at $ 100 per liter the annual cost is about $ 5,000. So there would be a profit if the price of fish is
about $ 1.33 to $ 1.25 per kg ( ~ 60 to 55 cents per pound). The 30 - 35 pig's waste may produce 1 ton of
Ammonium Sulphate and 40 - 45 pigs are adequate to fertilize 1 ha water area under polyculture. This
system provides about 3,000 - 4,000 kg/ha/yr fish.
Kolkata, India sewage treatment:
A classic example of low cost ecological waste water treatment is East Kolkata wetlands. Kolkata is the
only metropolitan city in the world where state government has introduced development controls to
conserve the wetlands, which doubles up as waste treatment system through recycling process where a
complex ecological process has been adopted by the local farmers by mastering the resource recovery
activities. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation area generates roughly 600 million litres of sewage and
wastewater per day and it is fed in to these wetlands which are the largest ensemble of sewage fed fish
ponds in the world in one place. The sewage fed fishery ponds act as solar reactors. Solar energy is tapped
by a dense population of plankton. Plankton is consumed by the fish. Though the plankton plays a
significant role in degrading the organic matter, its overgrowth becomes a problem for pond management.
It is at this critical phase of the ecological process that the fish play an important role by grazing on the
plankton. The two fold role played by the fishes is indeed crucial in maintain a proper balance of the
plankton population in the pond and also convert the available nutrients in the wastewater into readily
consumable form (fish) for humans. East Calcutta Wetlands has been designated as a Ramsar Site in
November 2002.
http://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/east-kolkata-wetland-system-low-cost-efficient-ecologicalwater-treatment
Harnessing solar energy to grow algal biomass on wastewater nutrients could provide a holistic solution
to nutrient management problems on dairy and swine farms. The production of algae from a portion of
manure nutrients to replace high-protein feed supplements which are often imported (along with
considerable nutrients) onto the farm could potentially link consumption and supply of on farm nutrients.
Diatom algae consume all forms of nitrate especially ammonia and urea which are main forms of nitrate
present in sewage. Their consumption rate of N and P is much faster than any other algae because of their
fast growth rate. Our technology harnesses this unique potential of diatom algae to remove N and P to
reduce the organic nutrient load in the supernatant fluid. By triggering growth of specific algae through
our invention diatom algae we can control the growth of algae which is the only preferred food for
zooplankton which in turn are eaten by fish in the treatment process their by enhancing and harnessing
their potential in nutrient recovery process.
Growing diatoms and fish to reduce and recycle nutrients is a unique idea which is eco-friendly and cost
effective as it does not involve any harmful chemical usage and civil constructions. Our technology uses
the unique requirement of diatoms for Silica for its growth as main principle in developing patented nano
silica based micro nutrient mixture called Nualgi which triggers growth of only diatom algae. Using our
technology we can remove excess nutrients in water ways as close to the source as possible by growing
diatoms and fish in streams, oxidation ponds, Natural ponds and rivers close to the dairy and swine farms.
This will help in decentralizing the nutrient removal strategies by reducing nutrient load from the source
in different areas there by leading to less nutrient input into waterways. The fish biomass generated using
this technology can be crucial to substitute the wild caught fish meal as its availability is decreasing due
to over fishing resulting in its increased cost. The copepods biomass which is generated is also an
valuable asset as many aqua feed companies are looking for a substitute for artificial feed additives and
copepods can be the best live feed additive one can provide for a variety of cultured fish and shrimp
species. We have tested and perfected our technology successfully in many polluted water bodies
worldwide.
Effluent from both anerobic digested and non anerobic digested manure is allowed to be collected in to
existing oxygenation ponds or deep pits and diatom algae are grown in these ponds by using Nualgi.
Diatom algae remove the nutrients through biological uptake and produce oxygen in the pond this will
further help in providing favorable environment for aerobic denitrifying bacteria to grow which helps in
further reduction of nutrients. These diatom algae are directly consumed by finger fish and zooplankton
which in turn is consumed by fish through this natural food web we can convert the excess nutrients to
fish biomass. The treated water is released back into the water body, with a lower nutrient concentration
and a higher dissolved oxygen concentration. The nutrients that have been removed, or “scrubbed,” from
the water body are stored in the biomass of the algae and fish which can be harvested and used for various
purposes.
The algae are which can also be harvested especially in facilities were the ponds are suitable for
harvesting either by filtration or settling or by growing them in cost effective photobioreactor systems
with waste water approximately once per week during the growing season, thus removing nutrients from
the waterway in the algal biomass. Harvesting is important because it rejuvenates the community and
leads to higher growth rates; harvesting also prevents or reduces the potential effects of invertebrate
micrograzers. In fact, biomass production rates of algae based treatment systems are among the highest of
any recorded values for natural or managed ecosystems (Adey and Loveland 2007).
Protein-rich biomass is in all cases a co-product and in some cases the main product of microalgal
systems. As feedstock, studies have shown a range of species of eukaryotic microalgae to be equal or
superior to conventional sources of carbohydrates and proteins in terms of nutritional value and
digestibility (Becker, 2007). Net protein utilization, a compound measure of the digestibility and
biological value of the protein contained in foods, varies from 20–40 %, and is on par with conventional
sources. Relative to conventional feeds, field studies have established neutral-to-positive effects on feed
palatability, overall livestock growth and mortality rates, and meat taste for diets containing up to 10, 33,
and 45 % microalgae for poultry, pigs, and ruminants, respectively (Becker, 2004). As a result,
microalgae represent a potential replacement for soy, fishmeal, and other conventional sources of protein.
USA exports more products from land based agriculture rather than aquaculture by using excess nutrients
from sewage and manure to grow diatoms and fish we can bring about a drastic change in this scenario.
The production of diatom algae for manure treatment offers considerable potential for on-farm recycling
of manure nutrients. Moreover, use of the algal biomass as an animal diet supplement may lead to other
benefits beyond nutrient recycling. A variety of studies have shown that animal diets supplemented with
the cyanobacteria Spirulina may lead to increased animal health (Belay et al., 1996). A recent study has
shown that milk from dairy cows fed on a diet supplemented with the marine alga Schizochytrium sp. has
an increased omega-3-fatty acid content, a characteristic that has potential for improving consumer health
(Franklin et al., 1999). Another recent study has shown that chickens fed the red microalga Porphyridium
have modified fatty acid composition in egg yolk (Ginzberg et al., 2000). The diatom biomass we are
generating through our proposed technology has good economic potential as it is rich in protein, omega 3
mainly EPA and fucoxanthin which is a carotenoid pigment with innumerable health benefits and highly
sought after in neutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry. Further characterization of the biomass
produced from dairy manures, coupled with controlled animal feeding studies, will be needed to establish
whether diets containing these mixed diatom species from this technology will yield any similar benefits.
Main targets of the proposed technology:
1. Achieve >80% reduction of atmospheric emissions (ammonia-N, methane, odor compounds)
from manure.
2. Concentrate and stabilize nutrients from manure effluents so that the nutrients can be efficiently
recycled on-farm or exported off-farm.
3. Operate year-round so as to greatly reduce or eliminate storage of manure effluent in lagoons.
4. Accommodate a wide range of dairy effluents with variable nutrient content.
5. Achieve >80% recovery of manure N and P.
6. To generate revenue through generation of high value algal biomass.
Technology description:
The uncontrolled growth of algae blooms as a consequence of eutrophication creates many challenges.
While it is imperative to inhibit harmful algae blooms in eutrophic waters, the challenge is to develop
efficient methods that remove excessive nutrients from these waters. It is possible to import lipid-rich
microalgae species into eutrophic waters for the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus, while
simultaneously producing biomass. However, the design of cost effective algae cultivation systems in
natural waters is the major challenge for this approach. So we want to integrate growing algae with fish
production were we can convert the excess nutrient which in this case is perceived an resource rather than
a pollutant.
Our unique technology for treating wastewater utilizes multi-species assemblages dominated by benthic
diatoms. This technology has been shown to be effective for improving the water quality of agricultural
runoff, domestic sewage, and industrial wastewaters waste waters (Thomas et al., Unpublished). The algal
community is a high diversity system with 30 or more species of diatom algae, along with associated
microbes and micro-invertebrates. When operated at neutral pH values, this living community provides
most of the water treatment by uptake of inorganic compounds in primary production and breakdown of
organic compounds in community respiration. Metabolism of the diatom growth is controlled by
manipulating Micronutrient input, water depth and flow rates, use of natural or artificial light sources,
control of herbivores and frequency of harvest. All of these factors can be adjusted to maximize
metabolism and, thus, to maximize water treatment capacity. Harvesting is particularly important since
this action rejuvenates the community and leads to high growth rates. In fact, biomass production rates of
diatoms are among the highest of any recorded values for both natural and constructed ecosystems.
Majority of N and P are taken up in algal biomass and are removed from the system through harvest. The
harvested material can be processed into a useful byproduct.
The harvesting of microalgae typically employs methods such as filtration, sedimentation, centrifugation,
or flocculation, which can be technically and economically challenging when considering larger
production scales. So we want to couple algae growth with fish production were we can convert the N and
P from diatoms to fish biomass which can save us the cost associated with algae biomass harvesting cost
especially in farms were ponds are not feasible for algae biomass harvesting and due to economic
constraints.
Every cow releases 200 g N and 40g P /day to convert this N and P to algal biomass we need 2,000 litres
pond per cow with a diatom growth rate of approx 0.1 g/L/day so for 1,000 cows we need around 2
hectares of pond area with 1 mt depth.On an average 4 - 5 dairy animals along with their followers can be
maintained on an acre of well fertile agricultural land with assured irrigation facilities.For fodder
production 0.25 Acre irrigated land required per adult animal.
Figure.1. Flow chart showing the different aspects involved in the proposed technology.
Figure.2. showing the overall setup of how the technology can be integrated with other existing facilities
to make it sustainable.
III. Technology Development and Optimization Plan:
The core technology is ready to be used, support is required only to fine tune it to the specific requirement
of each end user, CAFOs, etc. The steps are as follows:
1. Indentify a few lagoons or ponds in a few CAFOs to demonstrate our technology.
2. Each demonstration will take 1 to 3 months.
3. The wastewater quality is to be measured before and during the demonstration.
4. The results can be seen from end of first week.
5. The sizing of the ponds for number of animals and volume of waste is to be calculated to confirm
the actual size of ponds required.
6. The above process will take 3 to 6 months.
7. The direct costs, Nualgi and water testing cost, would be about $ 5,000 per hectare of lagoon /
pond area.
8. This demonstration should be organized in the different climate zones of USA – Southern states
like California and Florida, Midwest, New England, etc.
9. If harvesting of Diatom Algae is desired then various harvesting technologies have to be tested to
ascertain which is the most suitable and economical technology.
10. Implementation of harvesting technology will take 6 months to 1 year.
11. The cost of harvesting technology would depend on the specific technology and desired end
product – animal feed, fish feed, nutraceuticals, biofuel, etc. This is estimated at $ 1 million
upwards.
IV. How could data on the technology be gathered, analyzed, and quality-assured at each stage?
Efficacy of the proposed technology would be evaluated by monitoring
1. Effluent water quality parameters before and after treatment
2. Diatom, Zooplankton and fish growth rate and biomass production rate
3. Lipid, protein and pigment content of algal biomass
V. Where could the technology be in two years with incubation support and market development?
All CAFOs in USA can start to use Nualgi based wastewater treatment at least for a part of their waste
and in 5 years all CAFOs can treat 100% of their waste with Nualgi. The core technology is ready and has
been in use on a small scale in India for past 10 years. We just require support to demonstrate to each
customer and they can build the ponds required to implement the solution. Since existing lagoons can be
used, every users can start to use within a few months and size of lagoons / ponds would have to be
increase to achieve 100% treatment with Nualgi and Diatoms.
VI. About You
Describe the background of you and your team (if applicable).
Thomas Kiran Marella (MTK) is a Chief Technology Officer at Kadambari Consultants Pvt. Ltd. He
holds a Master of Science degree in Biotechnology with distinction from Bharathidasan University in
India. He has more than eight years of research experience as research fellow working on marine
microalgae for Biofuels and neutraceuticals. At present he works at Kadambari promoting Diatom algae
as a solution to a myriad of problems related to Aquaculture and Eutrophic waterbodies management.
Mr.M.V.Bhaskar (MVB), Charted Accountant, and is Director, Kadambari consultants Pvt. Ltd. Over 25
years of experience in different companies. Since last 8 years working on marketing of Nualgi and also
creating awareness on using diatoms for phycoremediation, Clean energy, Biofuels and GHG mitigation.
Mr. Sampath Kumar is the inventor and manufacturer of a revolutionary patented nutrient mixture for
diatom growth called Nualgi. Over 30 years of experience in Chemical industry and in Shrimp hatchery.
Mr. Anil Nanda is the promoter for Nualgi America Inc., based in Sand Diego, CA, USA. He is working
extensively on promoting Nualgi and diatoms as a solution for myriad of problems in Aquariums, ponds,
aquaculture and lake eutrophication in USA. His website - http://NualgiLakes.com/
Our team is a winner of two contests in Climate Colab contests 2015 conducted by MIT
Energy-Water Nexus 2015 Contest : Nualgi - Diatom Algae - Oxygen
http://climatecolab.org/web/guest/plans/-/plans/contestId/1301501/planId/1320136
Waste Management 2015 Contest : Nualgi - Diatom Algae for Sewage Treatment
http://climatecolab.org/web/guest/plans/-/plans/contestId/1301420/planId/1320133
How did you develop this idea?
Sampath Kumar is the inventor and manufacturer of Nualgi, in Bangalore, India. He started a chemical
industry in 1979 and a shrimp hatchery in 1994 and he knew about Nano Silica and about the need to use
micro-nutrient to grow Diatoms to feed shrimp larve. He combined this knowledge to invent Nualgi by
2004. He patented it in India (2007), USA (2009) # 7585898 ‘A Composition for growth of Diatom
Algae’, UK, Germany, etc. He tested it in large ponds and found that it worked even in very large ponds
and lakes and that water quality improved dramatically.
What could you contribute toward its development?
MVB is helping Sampath market it worldwide.
MTK has done research on Diatoms at Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India.
Anil Nanda is based in California and is marketing Nualgi in USA since 2013.
Together we can demonstrate Nualgi for treatment of Cattle and Swine wastewater in the USA.
What types of partners or resources would be most useful to take your idea to the next level?
All the seekers for this challenge are the only supporters we require. The Diaries have the farms, lagoons
and land required to demonstrate Nualgi and Diatoms, the universities have the resources to test the water
before and after dosing Nualgi to validate the performance and assess the biomass produced, EPA is the
authority to approve the use of Nualgi for wastewater treatment.
References:
Becker W. 2004. Microalgae in human and animal nutrition. In: Richmond A, editor. Handbook of
microalgal culture: biotechnology and applied phycology. Oxford: Blackwell;. p. 312–51.
Becker EW. 2007 Micro-algae as a source of protein. Biotechnol Adv.;100(1):178–81.
Belay A, Kato T, Ota Y (1996) Spirulina (Arthrospira): potential application as an animal feed
supplement. J. appl. Phycol. 8: 303–311.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 2004. Manure’s Impact on Rivers, Streams and the Chesapeake Bay.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Annapolis, p. 26.
Franklin ST, Martin KR, Baer RJ, Schingoethe DJ, Hippen A, R. (1999) Dietary marine algae
(Schizochytrium sp.) increases concentrations of conjugated linoleic, docosahexaenoic and transvaccenic
acids in milk of dairy cows. J. Nutr. 129: 2048–2054.
Ginzberg A, Cohen M, Sod-Moriah U, Shany S, Rosenshtrauch A, Arad S (2000) Chickens fed with
biomass of the red microalga Porphyridium sp. have reduced blood cholesterol level and modified fatty
acid composition in egg yolk. J. appl. Phycol. 12: 325–330.
Hickey, C. W.; Quinn, J. M.; Davies-Colley, R. J. 1989: Effluent characteristics of dairy shed oxidation
ponds and their potential impacts on rivers. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 23:
569-584.
Horton, T., Eichbaum, W.M., 1991. Turning the Tide, Saving the Chesapeake Bay. Island Press,
Washington, DC.
Jimenez-Perez MV, Sanchez-Castillo P, Romera O, Fernandez- Moreno D, Perez-Martinez C (2004)
Growth and nutrient removal in free and immobilized plantonic green algae isolated from pig manure.
Enzyme Microb. Technol. 34: 392–398.
Johnson Jr., J.C., Newton, G.L., Butler, J.L., 1991. Recycling liquid dairy cattle waste to sustain annual
triple crop production of forages. In: Proceedings of the 28th Annual Florida Dairy Production
Conference. Dairy Science Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, pp. 41–50
Lincoln, E.P., Wilkie, A.C., 1995. Use of filamentous cyanobacteria for nitrogen removal from dairy
wastewater. In: Abstracts of the 95th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology 1995, Q291. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC, p. 451.
Lincoln, E.P., Crawford, J.J.W., Wilkie, A.C., 1993. Spirulina in animal agriculture. Bull. Inst. Oceanogr.
(Monaco) 12, 109–115.
Lincoln, E.P., Wilkie, A.C., French, B.T., 1996. Cyanobacterial process for renovating dairy wastewater.
Biomass Bioenergy 10(1), 63–68.
Olguin E.,J 2003 Phycoremediation: Key issues for cost-effective nutrient removal processes. Biotechnol.
Adv. 22: 81–91.
Walsh et al., 2015 New feed sources key to ambitious climate targets. Carbon Balance Management 10:26
DOI 10.1186/s13021-015-0040-7
Wilkie AC, Mulbry WW (2002) Recovery of dairy manure nutrients by benthic freshwater algae. Biores.
Technol. 84: 81– 91.
Nutrient, Diatom biomass, Fish biomass and Cost analysis of the proposed project in relation to
livestock in USA:
Total cattle in USA
Total N per cow g/day
Total P per cow g/day
Total N from cattle per day
Total P from cattle per day
Nualgi dosage
Cost of Nualgi
pond / Lagoon size
N per day
P per day
Nualgi dosage
Price of Nualgi
Cost of Nualgi
89800000
200
40
17960000000
3592000000
litres
$
hectares
Litres
$ / Liter
Dollars
Ton
17960000
17960
224500
22450000
1000 Cows
2
g
200000
40000
2.5
100
250
Kg
200
40
91250
Diatom biomass
Fish biomass - Minimum
Fish biomass - Max
Fish selling price
Kg
kg
Kg
$ / kg
Income from sale of fish -Min
Income from sale of fish -Max
$
$
Profit / Loss
Minimum
Maximum
$
$
2500
250
625
1
91250
228125
250
625
91250
228125
0
136875
Total swine in USA
Total N per swine/day
total P per swine/day
Total N from swine/day
Total p from swine/day
Nualgi dosage
Cost of Nualgi
64700000
0.1
0.02 Ton
6470000
6470
1294000
1294
16175
1617500
Kg
Kg
Kg
Kg
Litres
$
For 1000 swine
N per day
P per day
Nualgi for N per day
cost of Nualgi per day
Diatom biomass
Fish biomass
fish selling price dollar
kg
kg
$/litres
Dollars
kg
Kg
$/kg
100
20
1.25
125
1250
312.5
1
Income from sale of fish-min
Income from sale of fish-mix
$
$
125
45625
312.5 114062.5
Profit/loss
Minimum
Maximum
$
$
0
68437.5
456.25
45625