Korean Journal of Agricultural Science ISSN:2466-2402(Print) 2466-2410(Online) 농업과학연구

Food waste causes various economic losses and environmental pollution problems such as soil pollution and groundwater pollution. Food waste has been used as a resource in various forms and has been used mostly for feed and composting. This study compared microalgal nutrient medium (BG-11) with food waste compost to determine the possibility of using it as a culture medium. Scenedesmus quadricauda was isolated and cultured in an eutrophic reservoir and incubated for 3 days in distilled water before laboratory use. Food waste compost was produced in two food waste processing facilities, and hot water was extracted in the laboratory to be used for microalgae cultivation. The growth curve of the microalgae was analyzed based on the Chl-a concentration measured during the experiment, and the growth rate of the microalgae grown in the food waste compost was compared with the growth rate of those grown in the nutrient medium. Food waste compost showed a similar growth rate to that of the nutrient medium, and there was a difference depending on the manufacturing facility. The growth of microalgae in such food waste was further amplified when trace elements were added and showed better growth than that of the nutrient media. Particularly, when trace elements were added, the growth rate increased, and the growth period was further extended. Therefore, food waste compost can be sufficiently utilized as a microalgal culture medium, and if trace elements are added, it is considered that microalgae can be more effectively cultured compared to the existing nutrient medium.