ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the engineering aspects of microalgal processes. The principal engineering design parameters, capital investment, and operations costs, as elucidated by the workshop members, are analyzed in order to estimate the overall cost of the process and to evaluate its economical feasibility. They should photosynthetically produce microalgal suspended biomass using subsurface tile drainage waters rich in nitrogen as the culture media. Algal mass cultures high-rate pond (HRP) can be used for the treatment of various agricultural wastes, ranging from animal manures to agro-industrial wastes to slaughterhouse and meat-packing wastes and other organic wastes. Removal of nitrogen by incorporation into the algal biomass, as well as precipitation of calcium, magnesium, and some heavy metals, is some added advantages of the HRP. Economy of scale should further reduce the costs when larger schemes are built to remove selenium from all the drainage waters in the affected area in the San Joaquin Valley.
