Effects of Superabsorbent Polymers on Growth and Pigment Allocation in Chlorella vulgaris
Gabriella Erzsébet Szemők, László Balázs, Ákos Tarnawa, Szandra Klátyik, Gergő Péter Kovács, Zoltán Kende
TL;DR
This study explores how different superabsorbent polymers affect the growth and pigment composition of Chlorella vulgaris algae under various conditions.
Contribution
The novel contribution is the systematic evaluation of three SAP types on algal growth and pigment allocation, revealing chemistry- and density-dependent effects.
Findings
Zeba Plus SP® maintained biomass and enhanced carotenoid-related indices without growth suppression.
Aquaperla® reduced biomass-related measures, especially at high algal density.
Pigment allocation varied with algal density, with low-density cultures investing more in carotenoids.
Abstract
Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are increasingly applied in agriculture to enhance soil water retention, reduce nutrient loss, and mitigate drought stress—challenges expected to intensify under global climate change. While their benefits for crop growth are well documented, much less is known about their influence on free-living microorganisms. Here, we examined the effects of three SAP chemistries—potassium polyacrylate (DCM Aquaperla®), starch-based polyacrylamide (Zeba Plus SP®), and γ-polyglutamate (Stockosorb® 660 Medium)—on the growth and pigment composition of Chlorella vulgaris Beijerinck across three initial cell densities (22.8 × 103, 228 × 103, and 2.228 × 106 cells/mL). Six spectral indices, derived from weekly absorbance measurements over seven weeks, were used to track biomass and pigment allocation. Nonparametric repeated-measures analysis and principal component analysis…
Genes, proteins, chemicals, diseases, species, mutations and cell lines named across the full text — each resolved to its canonical identifier and authoritative record.
Click any figure to enlarge with its caption.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
Figure 13
Figure 14
Figure 15Peer Reviews
No public reviews on file for this paper yet. If you reviewed it on a platform where reviews are public (OpenReview, ICLR, NeurIPS, ICML), you can paste yours below so the community can read it here.
Videos
No videos yet. Explain this paper in a talk, walkthrough, or lecture? Add one.
Taxonomy
TopicsAlgal biology and biofuel production · Polymer-Based Agricultural Enhancements · Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology