Cultivation of Lemna Minor on Industry-Derived, Anaerobically Digested, Dairy Processing Wastewater

Abstract

The growth and nutrient uptake capacity of a common duckweed (Lemnaceae) species, Lemna minor "Blarney", on dairy processing wastewater pre-treated by an anaerobic digester (AD-DPW) was explored. <i>L. minor</i> was cultivated in small stationary vessels in a controlled indoor environment, as well as in a semi-outdoor 35 L recirculatory system. The use of AD-DPW as a cultivation medium for <i>L. minor</i> offers a novel approach to dairy wastewater treatment, evolving from the current resource-intensive clean-up of wastewaters to duckweed-based valorisation, simultaneously generating valuable plant biomass and remediating the wastewater.