Approaches and Involved Principles to Control PH/PCO2 Stability in Algal Cultures
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Abstract Experimental cultures of both microalgae and macroalgae are commonly carried out by phycologists or environmental biologists to look into morphological, physiological, and molecular responses to aquatic environmental changes. However, the species of inorganic carbon in algae cultures is often altered by algal photosynthetic CO2removal and/or bicarbonate utilization. The pH changes associated with altered carbonate chemistry in cultures impact physiological processes in microalgae and macroalgae even at their exponential growth phases, since extra energy is required to sustain intracellular acid–base homeostasis. Usually, pH increases during light period due to inorganic carbon uptake and utilization for photosynthesis and decreases during dark period because of respiratory CO2release. Therefore, to obtain relevant data aimed for physiological and/or molecular responses of algae to changed levels of environmental factors, stability of pH/pCO2in the cultures should be considered and controlled to rule out impacts of carbonate chemistry and pH changes. In this work, principles involved in changing pH processes in algal cultures are mechanistically analyzed and several approaches to control pH and pCO2are introduced. In order to sustain stability of pH/pCO2, the principles underline the following key points: (1) maintaining the rate of photosynthetic C removal less than or equal to the rate of CO2dissolution into the cultures which are aerated; or (2) sustaining dilute cultures with very low cell density without aeration, so that photosynthetic C removal is small enough not to cause significant pH/pCO2changes; or (3) stabilizing the changes in micro-environments surrounding the cells or thallus. To maintain pH drift < 1% in growing typical unicellular microalgae, the recommended cell concentration ranges from 50 × 103to 200 × 103 mL−1with aeration (air replacement rate of ca 500–1000 mL L−1 min−1) in semi-continuous cultures of < 1 L, and it ranges from 100 to 5000 cells mL−1for diatoms and from 100 to 100 × 103cells mL−1for coccolithophores in dilute cultures without aeration, respectively. For macroalgae, maintaining the thalli in flowing through- system or in semi-continuous cultures (continuously control algal biomass density) is recommended.
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Controlled CO2 dosing is often used to prevent excessive pH increase, maintain acid-base balance, and create optimal conditions for microalgae growth.
“Controlled CO2 dosing is often used to prevent excessive pH increase, maintain acid-base balance, and create optimal conditions for microalgae growth [178].”
From Multi-Sensing Monitoring of the Microalgae Biomass Cultivation Systems for Biofuels and Added Value Products Synthesis—Challenges and Opportunities (2025) · cites this paper as [178]
The ‘Approaches to elevate pCO₂ and control pH in cultures’ section says controlled CO₂ dosing can control culture pH, and that CO₂ supply can raise productivity in massive microalgae cultures. It also says periodic dosing produces fluctuating pH and is unsuitable when stable pH or carbonate chemistry is required, so the claim that dosing maintains acid-base balance needs qualification. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.84)
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Dębowski, M., Kazimierowicz, J., & Zieliński, M. (2025) · Applied Sciences · doi:10.3390/app15137324 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
- Authors
- Gao, K.
- Affiliations
- Xiamen University (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Gao, Kunshan
- ORCID
- Gao, Kunshan
- Venue
- Journal of Applied Phycology
- Published
- 2021-08-28
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 3497-3505
- ISSN
- 0921-8971 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-5176
- OpenAlex
- W3197545852
- Cited by
- 69
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 22 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 8
- FWCI
- 1.16
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Applied Phycology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- nsfc (41720104005, 41890803,41721005))
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Algal biology and biofuel production
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Ocean Acidification Effects and Responses
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Oceanography › Marine and coastal ecosystems
- Keywords
- pH control, partial pressure of CO2, carbonate chemistry, microalgae cultivation, bicarbonate utilization, acid-base balance, aeration, cell density, diatoms, coccolithophores, semi-continuous culture, pH drift
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