日韩精品久久一区二区三区_亚洲色图p_亚洲综合在线最大成人_国产中出在线观看_日韩免费_亚洲综合在线一区

Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
China
Home / China / Environment

Scientists say tiny algae eat pollutants

By LIU KUN, ZHANG ZHIHAO | China Daily | Updated: 2017-12-26 06:16
Share
Share - WeChat
Employees of a biotech company checks microalgae in Wuyuan, Jiangxi province. [Photo/VCG]

Chinese scientists have discovered a new strain of microalgae — microscopic, single-cell photosynthetic organisms that produce oxygen — capable of absorbing 90 percent of the greenhouse gas and industrial fumes that are components of smog, while producing high-quality algae oil for a wide range of products.

Wang Qiang, the lead scientist behind the project at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Hydrobiology, said the microalgae have recently entered a test phase for cleaning emissions produced by the refineries of Sinopec, China's largest oil and gas company.

"Our microalgae's highest consumption efficiency for nitrogen oxides — a key ingredient for smog — can reach around 96 percent," he said. "This new microalgae can greatly reduce industrial emissions and curb air pollution in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way."

A traditional nitrogen oxide removal installation requires high energy and pressure, and has an annual cost of about 640,000 yuan ($98,000) to remove 1 metric ton of gas.

But tests show the algae-based cleansing method is safer, requires less energy and produces algae biomass that can be used and sold for more than 210,000 yuan a ton, he said.

"Once the microalgae population grows to a certain volume, we can extract the oil from the microorganisms to produce biofuel, fish feeds, fertilizers, health supplements and a wide range of products," Wang said.

For example, DHA is a common substance traditionally extracted from fish oil that can be added to infant formula to promote healthy brain growth. However, companies are extracting the same ingredient from microalgae to reduce overfishing and to avoid potential contaminants found in fish oil due to pollution, he said.

Microalgae were Earth's first organisms capable of photosynthesis, the process of converting water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and carbohydrates by using sunlight, Wang said. Microalgae began this process 3 billion to 3.5 billion years ago, and they could turn into crude oil once buried underground for millions of years.

"Around 60 to 75 percent of the oxygen on Earth came from these tiny organisms that comprise less than 1 percent of Earth's total plant biomass," he said. "Moreover, microalgae are the foundation that supports the food chain for aquatic life. It is fascinating how life on Earth is dependent on these simple beings."

Scientists around the world have been trying to maximize the potential of microalgae for years. In June, scientists in the United States made a mutant strain of microalgae that can grow as fast as its wild variant but produce more than double the oil, according to Nature Biotechnology, an international science journal.

In September, biologists from New York University Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates engineered a new form of microalgae that can grow rapidly in desert conditions. They said the organism can be used to sustainably produce biofuels, animal feed and other bio-based products on barren land, according to the university.

However, a key challenge with microalgae is cultivation and harvesting using a cost-efficient method, said Wang. The world currently produces only around 100,000 tons of microalgae a year, "not nearly enough to satisfy energy or manufacturing needs", he added.

Wang estimated that the total market value of algae-based products could exceed trillions of dollars.

In addition, he said, public and government officials often have the misconception that microalgae cause algae blooms, the rapid, uncontrollable growth of algae that turns seawater or freshwater into a toxic, pea-green soup that can destroy marine ecosystems.

"However, the real cause of algae blooms is nutrient-rich wastewater and fertilizers," said Wang. "We hope the public can learn more about the benefits that microalgae have for the environment and human health."

Contact the writers at [email protected]

Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
 
主站蜘蛛池模板: 成人97在线观看免费高清 | 麻豆av在线播放 | 丁香成人影院 | 日韩欧美一区二区三区不卡在线 | 欧美成人精品欧美一级乱黄 | 日韩欧美视频免费观看 | 一级毛片成人午夜 | 日韩中文字幕网 | 成人免费大片a毛片 | 久久免费视频一区二区三区 | 国产伦精品一区二区三区精品视频 | 27xxoo无遮挡动态视频 | 国内自拍视频在线观看 | 一区二区三区国产免费 | 狠狠视频 | 久久国产精品久久 | 天天影视色香欲综合网老头 | 国产精品视频二区不卡 | 久久影院2018线观看 | 亚洲欧美综合人成野草 | 欧美日韩中文在线 | 日韩国产一区二区 | www.狠狠艹 | 日本一区二区三区久久久 | 久久精品欧美一区二区三区不卡 | 久草视频免费播放 | 欧美四虎影院 | 国产高清精品一区二区三区 | 日韩视频在线一区二区 | 欧美乱码伦视频免费 | 欧美最猛性xxxxx亚洲精品 | 一级毛片在线观看视频 | 久久国产精品精品国产 | 国产精品免费在线播放 | 精品日韩欧美国产一区二区 | 澳门一级淫片免费视频 | 久草免费在线 | www.ouchn.com| 一级做a爰片久久毛片看看 欧美日韩精品国产一区二区 | 日一区二区| 蜜臀AV性色A片在线观看 |