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BMP testingAlgae and aquatic plantssingle study (2 samples)

Microspora sp. — BMP: 2 studies, weighted mean 334 m³ CH₄/t VS

Microspora sp. is a filamentous freshwater green alga, found in water bodies and wastewater; the dataset contains several samples from a single literature review.

CH₄ ≈ 52 % (estimate)

Published Updated 3 min readFeedstockData Editorial Team

Illustration: FeedstockData (AI, Google Gemini)

Weighted mean
334m³ CH₄/t VS
Range
255–413m³ CH₄/t VS
Records
2single study (2 samples)
Publications
1source
Temperatures
35 °Cof the test

Methane in biogas

Medium methane content · ≈ 5.2 kWh/m³ of biogas

estimate from the substrate type The collected studies contain no measurement. The interval follows from the approximate composition (carbohydrate-dominated (no protein or fat characteristics)) and the yields of compound groups according to FNR.

How we calculate it and what the zones mean

Rating for biogas plants

not rated — editorial rating for biogas plants

Not rated: no dry matter or volatile solids in the data. We calculate the rating when the dry matter and volatile solids of the material are known.

Editorial rating per the methodology

Add to the co-digestion calculator CSV data

BMP curves from 2 studies

Weighted mean Individual records

BMP curves: Microspora sp.Cumulative methane production over time for 2 records and the weighted mean of 334 m³ CH₄/t VS. 2 of the curves are model curves (first-order kinetics).01002003004005000510152025303540time [d]m³ CH₄/t VSJankowska et al. (2017) · 1: 255 m³ CH₄/t VS (model curve)Jankowska et al. (2017) · 2: 413 m³ CH₄/t VS (model curve)mean334

Dashed lines are a model curve (first-order kinetics, B(t) = B₀·(1 − e−kt)); the end point comes from the publication. All curves are model curves.

Cumulative methane production over the test [m³ CH₄/t VS]. The thick line is the weighted mean of all records (334); dots mark the end values given in the publications. Point at the chart to read values; click a legend item to hide or show a record.

Records and sources

Download CSV
SourceBMP
m³ CH₄/t VS		TemperatureSampleCurve
Jankowska et al. (2017) · 1 DOI25535 °C · mesophilic(orig.: “Microspora”): value quoted in a literature reviewend point (model curve)
Jankowska et al. (2017) · 2 DOI41335 °C · mesophilic(orig.: “Microspora”): value quoted in a literature review · pretreatment: particle size reduction/sample preparation (MY-D: physical treatment)end point (model curve)
Weighted mean334arithmetic mean 334, SD 112

Process properties

  • dilutes the feed (low DM)
  • variable composition
  • editorial classification

Low confidence: the description is based on general characteristics of the substrate group, not on studies of this material. Treat it as a hint to be verified.

Advantages

  • Methane yield in the compendium: median 334 (range 255–413) m³ CH₄/t VS, 2 records from 1 papers (weighted mean 334).

Drawbacks and risks

  • The high protein content of the cells causes release of ammonia, which can be toxic to the process (Sialve et al. (2009); Rajagopal et al. (2013))

Co-digestion — what to combine it with, what to watch out for

Dosing

No source limits on the dose for this substrate.

Introduce gradually, starting with a small dose and monitoring the process (e.g. FOS/TAC, pH, gas composition).

Practical requirements

  • Do not dry the biomass before feeding: drying lowered biogas production to about 80% (Mussgnug et al. (2010))
  • Monitor ammonia (high protein) and, for marine species, sodium (Sialve et al. (2009))

Sources of the process data

  1. Anaerobic co-digestion of algal sludge and waste paper to produce methane
  2. Anaerobic digestion of microalgae as a necessary step to make microalgal biodiesel sustainable
  3. A critical review on inhibition of anaerobic digestion process by excess ammonia
  4. Biogas from microalgae: Review on microalgae's cultivation, harvesting and pretreatment for anaerobic digestion
  5. Microalgae as substrates for fermentative biogas production in a combined biorefinery concept

The co-digestion calculator will assess a specific mixture containing this substrate.

What it is and where it comes from

Microspora is a genus of filamentous freshwater green algae, occurring in streams, ponds and reservoirs. It forms green mats that can detach and float on the surface of the water. The species was not identified in this dataset. Biomass of this type is studied in the context of water treatment, and the records come from a single literature review.

Properties relevant to digestion

Microspora filaments have a cell wall of cellulose and hemicelluloses, built of two-part segments, which makes it less resistant than the walls of some microalgae, but it requires comminution. Biomass collected from water has a very high water content and a low dry matter content. The protein content is usually moderate or high, and the presence of mineral impurities (sand, limestone, sediment) lowers the VS share. Excess protein risks ammonia release, and the decomposition of algae can release hydrogen sulphide when the biomass contains many sulphur compounds.

How to read the spread of results

Values from a single source differ considerably, which is attributed to variable biomass: this depends on the season, the sampling site, the development stage of the mat, contaminants and the method of preparation. Temperature, test time, inoculum and the substrate-to-inoculum ratio also matter. The scant description in the review makes it difficult to assess what biomass was actually examined, and the small number of records is too little to draw conclusions about a typical range.

In biogas plant practice

Microspora is not a commercial substrate, and it is hard to point to a biogas plant that would plan its regular use. If biomass arises from the removal of blooms, it can be digested as an addition to the mix, after sand removal and thickening. The risk of unstable supplies and variable composition must be taken into account. The legal status of the collected biomass depends on its origin and on whether it qualifies as waste, as well as on the installation's permits to accept it.

In addition, it is worth checking that biomass from natural water bodies does not contain heavy metals and other contaminants that algae accumulate from the water. This matters both for digester operation and for the later management of the digestate.

For comparison with cultivated microalgae, filamentous biomass is easier to dewater and harvest, which is a logistical advantage, but its composition is much less predictable.

Methodology in brief

BMP is the amount of methane obtained from volatile solids (VS) in a batch test, given in m³ CH₄ per tonne of VS (numerically the same as NmL CH₄/g VS in the publications) and converted to normal conditions (0 °C, 101.325 kPa). The weighted mean gives each publication a total weight of 1, split equally between its results for the substrate — a paper testing twenty varieties does not outweigh a paper with a single sample. In inter-laboratory programmes the unit is the laboratory (total weight 1), and within it the weight of a test grows with the number of bottles (replicates). Results after pretreatment (e.g. thermal, chemical, enzymatic) are shown separately and are not included in the mean.

Solid lines are curves measured in the tests. Where a publication gives only the final result, we draw a first-order kinetic model, B(t) = B₀·(1 − e−kt): only the end point comes from the publication, and the shape of the curve serves purely as visualisation — do not read the production on a particular day from it. For this substrate k = 0.102 d−1 was assumed (median of rate constants k reported in the sources and/or fitted to the mean measured curves).

The statistics describe the spread of published results — a descriptive compilation, not a meta-analysis or a guarantee of plant yield.

Full methodology and correction policy

Results after pretreatment (1) — excluded from the mean
SourceBMP
m³ CH₄/t VS		PretreatmentSample
Jankowska et al. (2017)266fermentationMicrospora

Bibliography

  1. Jankowska, E.; Sahu, A.K.; Oleskowicz-Popiel, P. (2017). Biogas from microalgae: Review on microalgae's cultivation, harvesting and pretreatment for anaerobic digestion. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 75, 692–709. DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2016.11.045 DOI

All sources of the site: bibliography.

Other substrates in the group “Algae and aquatic plants”