bachelorarbeit b.schild 27.10.2014 -...

41
1 University of Applied Sciences Neubrandenburg, in cooperation with the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul Department of agriculture and food science Course of studies Bioproducttechnology SS 2014 Bachelor thesis Exploration of a rapid and inexpensive method to measure biomass and the potential to establish a relationship between levels of biomass and chlorophyll. Author: Brian Schild Advisor: Prof. Dr. Marcelo Farenzena Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Zimmer Neubrandenburg, 27.10.2014 urn:nbn:de:gbv:519-thesis2014-0608-3

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1

University of Applied Sciences Neubrandenburg

in cooperation with the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul

Department of agriculture and food science

Course of studies Bioproducttechnology

SS 2014

Bachelor thesis

Exploration of a rapid and inexpensive method to measure biomass and the

potential to establish a relationship between levels of biomass and chlorophyll

Author Brian Schild

Advisor Prof Dr Marcelo Farenzena

Prof Dr-Ing Klaus Zimmer

Neubrandenburg 27102014

urnnbndegbv519-thesis2014-0608-3

2

List of symbols and shortcuts

IndexSymbol Description Unit

BA Batch A

BB Batch B

BC Batch C

BD Batch D

BE Batch E

mB Biomass mgL

rpm rounds per minute m-1

nm Nanometer

dx Day number x

Chl Chlorophyll

3

Table of Content

1 INTRODUCTION 4

2 MATERIAL AND METHODS 5

21 SCENEDESMUS SP 5

22 CULTURE CONDITIONS 6

23 PHOTOMETRY 8

231 Lambert-Beer law 8

232 Photometer 10

233 Spectrophotometer 11

24 FLUORIMETER 13

25 PROTOTYPE 16

26 MEASUREMENT OF BIOMASS 18

27 MEASUREMENT OF CHLOROPHYLL 18

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 20

31 ALGAE GROWTH 20

32 CHLOROPHYLL FORMATION 26

33 CORRELATION OF ALGAE AND CHLOROPHYLL GROWTH 28

4 CONCLUSIONES 36

5 BIBLIOGRAPHY 38

6 LIST OF FIGURES 39

7 LIST OF TABLES 40

DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP 41

4

1 Introduction

Algae cultures have been utilized as an important feature of many products including

aquaculture feeds human food supplements and pharmaceuticals They have additionally been

suggested as a good candidate for fuel production

Algae are a large and diverse group of simple typically autotrophic organisms ranging from

unicellular to multicellular forms The advantages of algae such as rapid growth rate and

productivity gives preference to them contrary to higher planes Microalgae can produce 50

times more biomass compared to higher plants Even more different types of microalgae are able

to grow in a variety of environmental conditions even on the limited areas of land while they

donrsquot (contrary to crops) compete with the food market Furthermore they are easier to

manipulate for example in case of high oil content (oil yield in microalgae can exceed 75 by

weight of dry biomass) When used for biodiesel production algae can simultaneously reduce

CO2 content in exhaust gases minimize contamination by releasing inorganic salts such NH4+

NO3- and PO4- during wastewater treatment and use them as nutrient materials Such ability of

algae seems to be the perfect solution for the treatment of a bunch of waste products including

filtrates of landfills or liquid fraction of digestates

On the other hand algae growth can cause several issues in water such as rivers and legs

Eutrophication of standing water is a big problem since the industrial era has started but caused

by the huge output of waste water even floating areas are in danger For that reason a prudent

dealing of algae and wastewater is necessary to ensure existence of a healthy environment as

well as of public health

The first step then is to determine contamination levels which should be performed quickly

(preferably online) inexpensively but accurately These requirements are the same necessary

characteristics which are essential for any observation tool in the context of industrial usage of

algae (waste water treatment biofuel production and so on as mentioned above)

Due to the extensive options and the necessity for usage a large number of instruments currently

exist which differ starkly in shape price size transportability and efficiency Nevertheless

they have one commonality their investment costs are considerable Consequently one of the

main objectives of this project is to determine whether it is possible to produce a relatively

inexpensive measuring device with accurate results under the condition of an online measuring

method

5

2 Material and Methods

In the following chapter all materials conditions and the usage of them is described presicly

21 Scenedesmus sp

Scenedesmus sp is a genus of algae more precisely of the Chlorophycae It is a member of the

Scenedesmaceae family and use to life in colonies while there lifestyle is non-motile There are

more than 70 known species of Scenedesmus right now as well as some more subgenera

Scenedesmus is one of the most common freshwater genera In contrast to most of the

Scenedesmaceae Ssp can exist in unicell stage nevertheless it is most likely to find them in

coenobias (Hegewald 1997)

When saturated with ideal light O2 and nutritional conditions in addition to the absence of

predators or negative environmental induced influences Scenedesmus sp will have its highest

growth rate If the growth rate exceed a certain point it may occur that Ssp prefers to stay in a

unicell stage The reason is that larger colonies have a smaller surface-to-volume ratio which

limitates the intake of nutrients and light and causes as well sinking of the colony what

complicates the process of light and nutrients supplements additionally As deeper the colony

sinks as less light reaches the colony If the colony is already attached to the ground it looses a

big part of its surface and according to that the absorption of nutrients is impaired

Ssp is a well-known strain of microalgae which is quite dominant in case of microbial

contamination by other microbes such as fungi and bacteria and due to that used in many

different laboratory fields Furthermore it has a great potential for biofuel production caused by

its high fat content and is therefore a promising algae for biotechnological studies (Luumlrling

1999)

6

22 Culture Conditions

All cultures were cultivated in a mixed medium which was composed of the following

ingredients

Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium

Makro Nutrition gL Solution CaCl2 2H2O 3676

A MgSO4 7 H2O 3697 NaHCO3 126 K2HPO3 871

A1 NaNO3 8501 Na2SiO 9H2O 2842 Micronutrientes gL Solution Na2EDTA 436

B

FeCl3 6H2O 315 CuSO4 5H2O 001 ZnSO4 5H2O 0022 COCl2 6H2O MnCl2 4H2O Na2MoO4 2H2O

001 018 0006

105 mL was removed from each medium (A A1 and B) and mixed with 200 mL inoculum of

Scenedesmus sp The reactors were furthermore filled up with distilled water to 2 L in total

Afterwards they were deployed in front of the light sources To simulate the influence of

different light intensities the distance to the light tubes varied for every reactor The algae were

maintained in an automated culture laboratory with temperature of 25 plusmn 2 under a 12 hour

photoperiod with a light intensity of 4000 ndash 10000 lux provided by cool white fluorescent

tubes The cultures were agitated in an orbital shaker to avoid sticking The picture on the next

page shows the adjustment for the pilot batch

7

Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment

The batches were daily readjusted because the light intensity changes when the water level

decreases They were always positioned in a way that at the middle height of the liquid the given

light intensities are steady

8

23 Photometry

Measurement of optical radiation fluxes (light intensities) was performed with use of a

photometer A distinction is made in the analysis between the measurement of absorption

scattering (scattered light) and the fluorescence in liquids and gases

231 Lambert-Beer law

The Lambert-Beer law is considered the fundamental law of absorptiometry It applies to all

optical methods of analytical chemistry Therefore it is based on measuring the absorption of

radiation in the ultraviolet and visible regions of the spectrum Two laws are combined in it The

Beers law which says that the light absorption of a colored solution is proportional to the

concentration of a substance which is dissolved in a colorless solvent and the Lambert law in

which the light absorption of a solution is proportional to the way the light travels through the

sample (at constant concentration of the solute)

A ndash Absorption (excitation)

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

I ndash intensity of attenuated light

ndash Transmission

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter [cm]

ε1 ndash molar absorption coefficient

The equations shows that the absorbance is nothing else than the common logarithm of the

quotient of emitted and detected light The relationship between absorbance and transmission is

shown on the next page 1 This is a specific size in case of the absorbing substance may vary on the pH or the solvent dependent

9

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance (httpteachingshuacuk 2014)

The Law states that the fraction of the light absorbed by each layer of solution is the same which

leads to a linear function instead of a logarithmic function by using the Absorbance In terms of

analysis it is easier to have linear function This is why the effect is mainly displayed as a

function of absorbance

Usually the scattering and luminescence effects in the spectroscopy analysis are neglected

Therefore in this work the term absorbance is used (when not specified otherwise) since

extinction is the sum of the effects of absorption scattering and luminescence (Mills Cvitaš

Homann Kallay amp Kuchitsu 1993)

The law applies only under certain conditions Firstly the dissolved substance must be

homogeneously distributed in the cuvette Furthermore it should be noted that the law does not

apply for open-end concentrations This means there is a limit to the concentration that is

measurable After a certain point the absorbance no longer increases in a linear fashion caused

by an over concentration of molecules in the solution In this case light rays can no longer pass

through the medium and correspondingly it is necessary to dilute the sample

10

232 Photometer

A Photometer is in a broad sense a device that is used in biology medicine physics and

chemistry for measuring the light absorption especially for the determination of concentrations

of known substances The main approach is to illuminate a sample and to measure the resulting

light intensity with a detector Different measurement methods are used The following figure

shows the principle of the basic process with one light beam using the example of absorption

measurement

The light source (L) emits a light beam through the medium to be measured in the measuring cell

(M) and the photodetector (Ph) measures the intensity of the remaining light In the amplifier

(V) the electric signal is amplified and output as a measured value

The light source can be a tungsten mercury cadmium H2 or a D2 lamp depending on the used

spectrum Tungsten lamps for example are used in the visible wavelength range and mercury and

cadmium light sources in the ultraviolet wavelength region (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer (wwwphotometercom 2014)

11

233 Spectrophotometer

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer

Double-beam optical system Instrument Type T80 Spectral Bandwidth 2 nm (fixed slit)

Working Mode MPU ModePC Mode

Software Support MPU Software PlatformSpec UV software workstation

Wavelength Range 190 - 1100nm Wavelength Accuracy plusmn 03nm (Automatic wavelength correction) Wavelength Reproducibility 02 nm Stray Light lt 012T (220nm Nal 340nm NaNo2)

Photometric Mode Transmittance Absorbance Energy

Photometric Range -03 - 3Abs

Photometric Accuracy

plusmn 0002 Abs (0 - 05A) plusmn 0004 Abs (05 - 1A) plusmn 03 T (0 - 100 T)

Photometric Reproducibility 0002 Abs (05 - 1A) 015 T (0 ndash 100 T )

Baseline Flatness plusmn 00015 Abs (190 - 1100nm) Baseline Stability 00008 Absh (500nm0Abs 2nm Spectral

Bandwidth 2hr warm-up_ Spectral Bandwidth 2nm (fixed slit) Photometric Noise plusmn 0001 Abs (500nm 0Abs 2nmSpectral

Bandwidth)

In the case of the spectrophotometer white light is decomposed by a prism or a diffraction

grating so that only light with a specific wavelength can pass through a shutter and into the

sample solution With lenses and apertures a narrowly defined light beam is produced consisting

of parallel rays By using filters or monochromators the spectrum of the light is reduced to a

limited wavelength range

While the light passes through the sample a part of the incident light is absorbed by the

molecules in the solution causing a weakening of the light intensity which can be recognized by

the photo detector and the attenuation of light is calculated by a computer (Lehmann 1892)

12

The light attenuation is a measurement of the absorption of light and is therefore a measurement

of the concentration of the absorbing molecules in the analyzed solution In this way the

concentration of the substance can be determined using the Lambert-Beer law or a calibration

curve (Boumlcker 1979)

The final aim of the measurement is the detection of the attenuation of the light intensity by the

substance in the measuring cell The measurement result depends on the brightness of the light

source (L) and the sensitivity of the photodetector (Ph) However the properties of these

components change under the influence of fluctuations in the supply voltage temperature and

aging The single-beam therefore is not stable in the long run and must be frequently

recalibrated (wwwphotometercom 2014)

This may be justifiable for individual measurements in the laboratory but in the context of

industrial settings continuous measurement influences of the light source fluctuations have to be

eliminated This leads to the dual-beam method

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Here a semi-transparent mirror splits the ray into two beams a measurement beam (M) which

passes through the sample and impinges on a first photodetector and a reference beam (V) which

falls directly on a second receiver

The measured value is created by forming a ratio so that the variations in the luminosity of the

light source have no effect However a remaining error source is the change in the sensitivity of

the two photodetectors Therefore the optimum solution is to use two beams and only one

photoreceptor During the project an UVVIS Spectrophomater (model T80 from PG Insturments

Ltd) was used which works exactly in the described manner

13

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Again the measured value is created by calculating the ratio of the sample and reference beams

Due to a rotating disc profile (Chopper) the two beams alternate on the same photo detector This

eliminates not only the variations in the light source but also changes of sensitivity of the

photoreceptor are eliminated (Spektrum 1999)

24 Fluorimeter

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter

FluoroMaxR-4 with USB von HORIBA Lamp Vertically mounted CW 150 W Ozone-free xenon

arc lamp Gratings 1200 groovemm blazed at 330 nm (excitation) and

500 nm (emission) plane ruled Detectors Emission R928P photon counting PMT (185-850

nm) and reference photodiode for monitoring lamp output

Water Raman SN 60001 (RMS method) See Signal-to-noise ratio Slits Continuously variable from 0 to 30 nm Accuracy 05 nm Repeatability 01 nm Minimum step 00525 nm Integration time 0001 to 160 sec Software FluorEssence Monochromators Automatic self-calibration of all wavelength drives

and slits All reflective optics Czerny-Turner spectrometers

Spectral Correction Factors Included

14

Fluorometry is a molecule-spectroscopic analysis that utilizes the property of electronically

excited molecules to emit the absorbed excitation energy as luminescence radiation Since the

electronic excitation of the molecules take place by absorption of light fluorimetry is a

photoluminecense method It finds versatile applications in both organic and inorganic analysis

The outstanding features of this method are their high selectivity and high sensitivity (Zander

1981)

The process is characterized particularly by some features At first it is a direct photometric

method for qualitative and quantitative analysis It is highly sensitive and has a wide range of

linearity Furthermore there are small amounts of material required for the analysis Online as

well as in-situ analysis are possible Lastly there is no or little sample preparations required

which leads to a non-destructive procedure That means the sample can be returned without

problems (Zander 1981)

Fluorimetry is generally based on the detection of emitted luminescent radiation from a sample

or a photochemical mediator molecule (fluorescent marker)

Luminescence radiation arises when electrons move from a higher to a lower orbital This is

called Stokes shift Stokes fluorescence is the re-emission of longer wavelength photons (lower

frequency or energy) by a molecule that has absorbed photons of shorter wavelengths (higher

frequency or energy) It is characteristic for every substance (Schmidt 2000)

A prevention of fluorescence by other types of dissipation of the excitation energy may occur

For instance an energy transfer to other molecules without radiation (eg photosynthesis) or

internal conversion

The intensity of the fluorescence of a solution depends on the intensity of the excitation light

(Iα) the molar absorption coefficient ε of the fluorescent substance the concentration c of the

sample and the quantum yield Q

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

Ia ndash intensity of attenuated light

15

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter

ε ndash molar absorption coefficient

Fluorimetry is used especially often in the field of quantitative analysis because in this case the

detection sensitivity is much higher than for pure absorption photometry The reason is the ratio

of the absorption photometry where usually slightly different signals are measured (Boumlcker

1979)

The majority of chemical compounds have a fluorescence ability Almost all aromatic

hydrocarbons are characterized by fluorescence assets Nevertheless the introduction of

substituents derogates this Particularly nitro and carboxylic acid as well SH-groups and related

substituents almost completely delate the fluorescence (Schmidt 2000)

Fluorimetry has a high detection limit of 10-12 Mol whereas in the absorption analysis only up

to 10-8 Mol can be detected At high substrate concentrations attention should be paid to the fact

that the fluorescence intensity Q is no longer a linear function of the concentration c To stay in

the linear range a maximum concentration of should not be exceeded In the following

figure the structure of a fluorimeter device is presented

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device (Rouilly 2014)

16

Mercury or xenon lamps are often used as sources of excitation light Mercury vapor lamps emit

a line spectrum with high intensities in the lines (at 254 313 36566 405 546 577 630 nm )

via a low-intensity continuous background Xenon lamps have a continuous emission spectrum

but its intensity decreases in the UV range

Important properties of monochromators are their light intensity the spectral slit width and the

freedom of scattered light In modern appliances imaging holographic gratings are used All

optical elements such as lenses gratings mirrors and beam splitters influenced by their spectral

characteristics influence the intensity and polarization of the reflected and transmitted radiation

as a function of wavelength

Photomultiplier are used as which allow due to their high amplification (106 to 108) the

measuring of lower light intensities up to single photons Depending on the material of the

photocathode different types of photoreceptors can vary in terms of their absolute and spectral

sensitivities The gain of the photomultiplier depends on the applied voltage (Zander 1981)

25 Prototype

The instrument which was used for this project was designed to measure and analyze samples of

microalgae by using the method of a fluorimeter In line with the idea of inexpensive production

the construction is relatively basic A schematic diagram is presented in the graphic below

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

2

List of symbols and shortcuts

IndexSymbol Description Unit

BA Batch A

BB Batch B

BC Batch C

BD Batch D

BE Batch E

mB Biomass mgL

rpm rounds per minute m-1

nm Nanometer

dx Day number x

Chl Chlorophyll

3

Table of Content

1 INTRODUCTION 4

2 MATERIAL AND METHODS 5

21 SCENEDESMUS SP 5

22 CULTURE CONDITIONS 6

23 PHOTOMETRY 8

231 Lambert-Beer law 8

232 Photometer 10

233 Spectrophotometer 11

24 FLUORIMETER 13

25 PROTOTYPE 16

26 MEASUREMENT OF BIOMASS 18

27 MEASUREMENT OF CHLOROPHYLL 18

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 20

31 ALGAE GROWTH 20

32 CHLOROPHYLL FORMATION 26

33 CORRELATION OF ALGAE AND CHLOROPHYLL GROWTH 28

4 CONCLUSIONES 36

5 BIBLIOGRAPHY 38

6 LIST OF FIGURES 39

7 LIST OF TABLES 40

DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP 41

4

1 Introduction

Algae cultures have been utilized as an important feature of many products including

aquaculture feeds human food supplements and pharmaceuticals They have additionally been

suggested as a good candidate for fuel production

Algae are a large and diverse group of simple typically autotrophic organisms ranging from

unicellular to multicellular forms The advantages of algae such as rapid growth rate and

productivity gives preference to them contrary to higher planes Microalgae can produce 50

times more biomass compared to higher plants Even more different types of microalgae are able

to grow in a variety of environmental conditions even on the limited areas of land while they

donrsquot (contrary to crops) compete with the food market Furthermore they are easier to

manipulate for example in case of high oil content (oil yield in microalgae can exceed 75 by

weight of dry biomass) When used for biodiesel production algae can simultaneously reduce

CO2 content in exhaust gases minimize contamination by releasing inorganic salts such NH4+

NO3- and PO4- during wastewater treatment and use them as nutrient materials Such ability of

algae seems to be the perfect solution for the treatment of a bunch of waste products including

filtrates of landfills or liquid fraction of digestates

On the other hand algae growth can cause several issues in water such as rivers and legs

Eutrophication of standing water is a big problem since the industrial era has started but caused

by the huge output of waste water even floating areas are in danger For that reason a prudent

dealing of algae and wastewater is necessary to ensure existence of a healthy environment as

well as of public health

The first step then is to determine contamination levels which should be performed quickly

(preferably online) inexpensively but accurately These requirements are the same necessary

characteristics which are essential for any observation tool in the context of industrial usage of

algae (waste water treatment biofuel production and so on as mentioned above)

Due to the extensive options and the necessity for usage a large number of instruments currently

exist which differ starkly in shape price size transportability and efficiency Nevertheless

they have one commonality their investment costs are considerable Consequently one of the

main objectives of this project is to determine whether it is possible to produce a relatively

inexpensive measuring device with accurate results under the condition of an online measuring

method

5

2 Material and Methods

In the following chapter all materials conditions and the usage of them is described presicly

21 Scenedesmus sp

Scenedesmus sp is a genus of algae more precisely of the Chlorophycae It is a member of the

Scenedesmaceae family and use to life in colonies while there lifestyle is non-motile There are

more than 70 known species of Scenedesmus right now as well as some more subgenera

Scenedesmus is one of the most common freshwater genera In contrast to most of the

Scenedesmaceae Ssp can exist in unicell stage nevertheless it is most likely to find them in

coenobias (Hegewald 1997)

When saturated with ideal light O2 and nutritional conditions in addition to the absence of

predators or negative environmental induced influences Scenedesmus sp will have its highest

growth rate If the growth rate exceed a certain point it may occur that Ssp prefers to stay in a

unicell stage The reason is that larger colonies have a smaller surface-to-volume ratio which

limitates the intake of nutrients and light and causes as well sinking of the colony what

complicates the process of light and nutrients supplements additionally As deeper the colony

sinks as less light reaches the colony If the colony is already attached to the ground it looses a

big part of its surface and according to that the absorption of nutrients is impaired

Ssp is a well-known strain of microalgae which is quite dominant in case of microbial

contamination by other microbes such as fungi and bacteria and due to that used in many

different laboratory fields Furthermore it has a great potential for biofuel production caused by

its high fat content and is therefore a promising algae for biotechnological studies (Luumlrling

1999)

6

22 Culture Conditions

All cultures were cultivated in a mixed medium which was composed of the following

ingredients

Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium

Makro Nutrition gL Solution CaCl2 2H2O 3676

A MgSO4 7 H2O 3697 NaHCO3 126 K2HPO3 871

A1 NaNO3 8501 Na2SiO 9H2O 2842 Micronutrientes gL Solution Na2EDTA 436

B

FeCl3 6H2O 315 CuSO4 5H2O 001 ZnSO4 5H2O 0022 COCl2 6H2O MnCl2 4H2O Na2MoO4 2H2O

001 018 0006

105 mL was removed from each medium (A A1 and B) and mixed with 200 mL inoculum of

Scenedesmus sp The reactors were furthermore filled up with distilled water to 2 L in total

Afterwards they were deployed in front of the light sources To simulate the influence of

different light intensities the distance to the light tubes varied for every reactor The algae were

maintained in an automated culture laboratory with temperature of 25 plusmn 2 under a 12 hour

photoperiod with a light intensity of 4000 ndash 10000 lux provided by cool white fluorescent

tubes The cultures were agitated in an orbital shaker to avoid sticking The picture on the next

page shows the adjustment for the pilot batch

7

Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment

The batches were daily readjusted because the light intensity changes when the water level

decreases They were always positioned in a way that at the middle height of the liquid the given

light intensities are steady

8

23 Photometry

Measurement of optical radiation fluxes (light intensities) was performed with use of a

photometer A distinction is made in the analysis between the measurement of absorption

scattering (scattered light) and the fluorescence in liquids and gases

231 Lambert-Beer law

The Lambert-Beer law is considered the fundamental law of absorptiometry It applies to all

optical methods of analytical chemistry Therefore it is based on measuring the absorption of

radiation in the ultraviolet and visible regions of the spectrum Two laws are combined in it The

Beers law which says that the light absorption of a colored solution is proportional to the

concentration of a substance which is dissolved in a colorless solvent and the Lambert law in

which the light absorption of a solution is proportional to the way the light travels through the

sample (at constant concentration of the solute)

A ndash Absorption (excitation)

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

I ndash intensity of attenuated light

ndash Transmission

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter [cm]

ε1 ndash molar absorption coefficient

The equations shows that the absorbance is nothing else than the common logarithm of the

quotient of emitted and detected light The relationship between absorbance and transmission is

shown on the next page 1 This is a specific size in case of the absorbing substance may vary on the pH or the solvent dependent

9

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance (httpteachingshuacuk 2014)

The Law states that the fraction of the light absorbed by each layer of solution is the same which

leads to a linear function instead of a logarithmic function by using the Absorbance In terms of

analysis it is easier to have linear function This is why the effect is mainly displayed as a

function of absorbance

Usually the scattering and luminescence effects in the spectroscopy analysis are neglected

Therefore in this work the term absorbance is used (when not specified otherwise) since

extinction is the sum of the effects of absorption scattering and luminescence (Mills Cvitaš

Homann Kallay amp Kuchitsu 1993)

The law applies only under certain conditions Firstly the dissolved substance must be

homogeneously distributed in the cuvette Furthermore it should be noted that the law does not

apply for open-end concentrations This means there is a limit to the concentration that is

measurable After a certain point the absorbance no longer increases in a linear fashion caused

by an over concentration of molecules in the solution In this case light rays can no longer pass

through the medium and correspondingly it is necessary to dilute the sample

10

232 Photometer

A Photometer is in a broad sense a device that is used in biology medicine physics and

chemistry for measuring the light absorption especially for the determination of concentrations

of known substances The main approach is to illuminate a sample and to measure the resulting

light intensity with a detector Different measurement methods are used The following figure

shows the principle of the basic process with one light beam using the example of absorption

measurement

The light source (L) emits a light beam through the medium to be measured in the measuring cell

(M) and the photodetector (Ph) measures the intensity of the remaining light In the amplifier

(V) the electric signal is amplified and output as a measured value

The light source can be a tungsten mercury cadmium H2 or a D2 lamp depending on the used

spectrum Tungsten lamps for example are used in the visible wavelength range and mercury and

cadmium light sources in the ultraviolet wavelength region (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer (wwwphotometercom 2014)

11

233 Spectrophotometer

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer

Double-beam optical system Instrument Type T80 Spectral Bandwidth 2 nm (fixed slit)

Working Mode MPU ModePC Mode

Software Support MPU Software PlatformSpec UV software workstation

Wavelength Range 190 - 1100nm Wavelength Accuracy plusmn 03nm (Automatic wavelength correction) Wavelength Reproducibility 02 nm Stray Light lt 012T (220nm Nal 340nm NaNo2)

Photometric Mode Transmittance Absorbance Energy

Photometric Range -03 - 3Abs

Photometric Accuracy

plusmn 0002 Abs (0 - 05A) plusmn 0004 Abs (05 - 1A) plusmn 03 T (0 - 100 T)

Photometric Reproducibility 0002 Abs (05 - 1A) 015 T (0 ndash 100 T )

Baseline Flatness plusmn 00015 Abs (190 - 1100nm) Baseline Stability 00008 Absh (500nm0Abs 2nm Spectral

Bandwidth 2hr warm-up_ Spectral Bandwidth 2nm (fixed slit) Photometric Noise plusmn 0001 Abs (500nm 0Abs 2nmSpectral

Bandwidth)

In the case of the spectrophotometer white light is decomposed by a prism or a diffraction

grating so that only light with a specific wavelength can pass through a shutter and into the

sample solution With lenses and apertures a narrowly defined light beam is produced consisting

of parallel rays By using filters or monochromators the spectrum of the light is reduced to a

limited wavelength range

While the light passes through the sample a part of the incident light is absorbed by the

molecules in the solution causing a weakening of the light intensity which can be recognized by

the photo detector and the attenuation of light is calculated by a computer (Lehmann 1892)

12

The light attenuation is a measurement of the absorption of light and is therefore a measurement

of the concentration of the absorbing molecules in the analyzed solution In this way the

concentration of the substance can be determined using the Lambert-Beer law or a calibration

curve (Boumlcker 1979)

The final aim of the measurement is the detection of the attenuation of the light intensity by the

substance in the measuring cell The measurement result depends on the brightness of the light

source (L) and the sensitivity of the photodetector (Ph) However the properties of these

components change under the influence of fluctuations in the supply voltage temperature and

aging The single-beam therefore is not stable in the long run and must be frequently

recalibrated (wwwphotometercom 2014)

This may be justifiable for individual measurements in the laboratory but in the context of

industrial settings continuous measurement influences of the light source fluctuations have to be

eliminated This leads to the dual-beam method

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Here a semi-transparent mirror splits the ray into two beams a measurement beam (M) which

passes through the sample and impinges on a first photodetector and a reference beam (V) which

falls directly on a second receiver

The measured value is created by forming a ratio so that the variations in the luminosity of the

light source have no effect However a remaining error source is the change in the sensitivity of

the two photodetectors Therefore the optimum solution is to use two beams and only one

photoreceptor During the project an UVVIS Spectrophomater (model T80 from PG Insturments

Ltd) was used which works exactly in the described manner

13

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Again the measured value is created by calculating the ratio of the sample and reference beams

Due to a rotating disc profile (Chopper) the two beams alternate on the same photo detector This

eliminates not only the variations in the light source but also changes of sensitivity of the

photoreceptor are eliminated (Spektrum 1999)

24 Fluorimeter

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter

FluoroMaxR-4 with USB von HORIBA Lamp Vertically mounted CW 150 W Ozone-free xenon

arc lamp Gratings 1200 groovemm blazed at 330 nm (excitation) and

500 nm (emission) plane ruled Detectors Emission R928P photon counting PMT (185-850

nm) and reference photodiode for monitoring lamp output

Water Raman SN 60001 (RMS method) See Signal-to-noise ratio Slits Continuously variable from 0 to 30 nm Accuracy 05 nm Repeatability 01 nm Minimum step 00525 nm Integration time 0001 to 160 sec Software FluorEssence Monochromators Automatic self-calibration of all wavelength drives

and slits All reflective optics Czerny-Turner spectrometers

Spectral Correction Factors Included

14

Fluorometry is a molecule-spectroscopic analysis that utilizes the property of electronically

excited molecules to emit the absorbed excitation energy as luminescence radiation Since the

electronic excitation of the molecules take place by absorption of light fluorimetry is a

photoluminecense method It finds versatile applications in both organic and inorganic analysis

The outstanding features of this method are their high selectivity and high sensitivity (Zander

1981)

The process is characterized particularly by some features At first it is a direct photometric

method for qualitative and quantitative analysis It is highly sensitive and has a wide range of

linearity Furthermore there are small amounts of material required for the analysis Online as

well as in-situ analysis are possible Lastly there is no or little sample preparations required

which leads to a non-destructive procedure That means the sample can be returned without

problems (Zander 1981)

Fluorimetry is generally based on the detection of emitted luminescent radiation from a sample

or a photochemical mediator molecule (fluorescent marker)

Luminescence radiation arises when electrons move from a higher to a lower orbital This is

called Stokes shift Stokes fluorescence is the re-emission of longer wavelength photons (lower

frequency or energy) by a molecule that has absorbed photons of shorter wavelengths (higher

frequency or energy) It is characteristic for every substance (Schmidt 2000)

A prevention of fluorescence by other types of dissipation of the excitation energy may occur

For instance an energy transfer to other molecules without radiation (eg photosynthesis) or

internal conversion

The intensity of the fluorescence of a solution depends on the intensity of the excitation light

(Iα) the molar absorption coefficient ε of the fluorescent substance the concentration c of the

sample and the quantum yield Q

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

Ia ndash intensity of attenuated light

15

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter

ε ndash molar absorption coefficient

Fluorimetry is used especially often in the field of quantitative analysis because in this case the

detection sensitivity is much higher than for pure absorption photometry The reason is the ratio

of the absorption photometry where usually slightly different signals are measured (Boumlcker

1979)

The majority of chemical compounds have a fluorescence ability Almost all aromatic

hydrocarbons are characterized by fluorescence assets Nevertheless the introduction of

substituents derogates this Particularly nitro and carboxylic acid as well SH-groups and related

substituents almost completely delate the fluorescence (Schmidt 2000)

Fluorimetry has a high detection limit of 10-12 Mol whereas in the absorption analysis only up

to 10-8 Mol can be detected At high substrate concentrations attention should be paid to the fact

that the fluorescence intensity Q is no longer a linear function of the concentration c To stay in

the linear range a maximum concentration of should not be exceeded In the following

figure the structure of a fluorimeter device is presented

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device (Rouilly 2014)

16

Mercury or xenon lamps are often used as sources of excitation light Mercury vapor lamps emit

a line spectrum with high intensities in the lines (at 254 313 36566 405 546 577 630 nm )

via a low-intensity continuous background Xenon lamps have a continuous emission spectrum

but its intensity decreases in the UV range

Important properties of monochromators are their light intensity the spectral slit width and the

freedom of scattered light In modern appliances imaging holographic gratings are used All

optical elements such as lenses gratings mirrors and beam splitters influenced by their spectral

characteristics influence the intensity and polarization of the reflected and transmitted radiation

as a function of wavelength

Photomultiplier are used as which allow due to their high amplification (106 to 108) the

measuring of lower light intensities up to single photons Depending on the material of the

photocathode different types of photoreceptors can vary in terms of their absolute and spectral

sensitivities The gain of the photomultiplier depends on the applied voltage (Zander 1981)

25 Prototype

The instrument which was used for this project was designed to measure and analyze samples of

microalgae by using the method of a fluorimeter In line with the idea of inexpensive production

the construction is relatively basic A schematic diagram is presented in the graphic below

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

3

Table of Content

1 INTRODUCTION 4

2 MATERIAL AND METHODS 5

21 SCENEDESMUS SP 5

22 CULTURE CONDITIONS 6

23 PHOTOMETRY 8

231 Lambert-Beer law 8

232 Photometer 10

233 Spectrophotometer 11

24 FLUORIMETER 13

25 PROTOTYPE 16

26 MEASUREMENT OF BIOMASS 18

27 MEASUREMENT OF CHLOROPHYLL 18

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 20

31 ALGAE GROWTH 20

32 CHLOROPHYLL FORMATION 26

33 CORRELATION OF ALGAE AND CHLOROPHYLL GROWTH 28

4 CONCLUSIONES 36

5 BIBLIOGRAPHY 38

6 LIST OF FIGURES 39

7 LIST OF TABLES 40

DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP 41

4

1 Introduction

Algae cultures have been utilized as an important feature of many products including

aquaculture feeds human food supplements and pharmaceuticals They have additionally been

suggested as a good candidate for fuel production

Algae are a large and diverse group of simple typically autotrophic organisms ranging from

unicellular to multicellular forms The advantages of algae such as rapid growth rate and

productivity gives preference to them contrary to higher planes Microalgae can produce 50

times more biomass compared to higher plants Even more different types of microalgae are able

to grow in a variety of environmental conditions even on the limited areas of land while they

donrsquot (contrary to crops) compete with the food market Furthermore they are easier to

manipulate for example in case of high oil content (oil yield in microalgae can exceed 75 by

weight of dry biomass) When used for biodiesel production algae can simultaneously reduce

CO2 content in exhaust gases minimize contamination by releasing inorganic salts such NH4+

NO3- and PO4- during wastewater treatment and use them as nutrient materials Such ability of

algae seems to be the perfect solution for the treatment of a bunch of waste products including

filtrates of landfills or liquid fraction of digestates

On the other hand algae growth can cause several issues in water such as rivers and legs

Eutrophication of standing water is a big problem since the industrial era has started but caused

by the huge output of waste water even floating areas are in danger For that reason a prudent

dealing of algae and wastewater is necessary to ensure existence of a healthy environment as

well as of public health

The first step then is to determine contamination levels which should be performed quickly

(preferably online) inexpensively but accurately These requirements are the same necessary

characteristics which are essential for any observation tool in the context of industrial usage of

algae (waste water treatment biofuel production and so on as mentioned above)

Due to the extensive options and the necessity for usage a large number of instruments currently

exist which differ starkly in shape price size transportability and efficiency Nevertheless

they have one commonality their investment costs are considerable Consequently one of the

main objectives of this project is to determine whether it is possible to produce a relatively

inexpensive measuring device with accurate results under the condition of an online measuring

method

5

2 Material and Methods

In the following chapter all materials conditions and the usage of them is described presicly

21 Scenedesmus sp

Scenedesmus sp is a genus of algae more precisely of the Chlorophycae It is a member of the

Scenedesmaceae family and use to life in colonies while there lifestyle is non-motile There are

more than 70 known species of Scenedesmus right now as well as some more subgenera

Scenedesmus is one of the most common freshwater genera In contrast to most of the

Scenedesmaceae Ssp can exist in unicell stage nevertheless it is most likely to find them in

coenobias (Hegewald 1997)

When saturated with ideal light O2 and nutritional conditions in addition to the absence of

predators or negative environmental induced influences Scenedesmus sp will have its highest

growth rate If the growth rate exceed a certain point it may occur that Ssp prefers to stay in a

unicell stage The reason is that larger colonies have a smaller surface-to-volume ratio which

limitates the intake of nutrients and light and causes as well sinking of the colony what

complicates the process of light and nutrients supplements additionally As deeper the colony

sinks as less light reaches the colony If the colony is already attached to the ground it looses a

big part of its surface and according to that the absorption of nutrients is impaired

Ssp is a well-known strain of microalgae which is quite dominant in case of microbial

contamination by other microbes such as fungi and bacteria and due to that used in many

different laboratory fields Furthermore it has a great potential for biofuel production caused by

its high fat content and is therefore a promising algae for biotechnological studies (Luumlrling

1999)

6

22 Culture Conditions

All cultures were cultivated in a mixed medium which was composed of the following

ingredients

Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium

Makro Nutrition gL Solution CaCl2 2H2O 3676

A MgSO4 7 H2O 3697 NaHCO3 126 K2HPO3 871

A1 NaNO3 8501 Na2SiO 9H2O 2842 Micronutrientes gL Solution Na2EDTA 436

B

FeCl3 6H2O 315 CuSO4 5H2O 001 ZnSO4 5H2O 0022 COCl2 6H2O MnCl2 4H2O Na2MoO4 2H2O

001 018 0006

105 mL was removed from each medium (A A1 and B) and mixed with 200 mL inoculum of

Scenedesmus sp The reactors were furthermore filled up with distilled water to 2 L in total

Afterwards they were deployed in front of the light sources To simulate the influence of

different light intensities the distance to the light tubes varied for every reactor The algae were

maintained in an automated culture laboratory with temperature of 25 plusmn 2 under a 12 hour

photoperiod with a light intensity of 4000 ndash 10000 lux provided by cool white fluorescent

tubes The cultures were agitated in an orbital shaker to avoid sticking The picture on the next

page shows the adjustment for the pilot batch

7

Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment

The batches were daily readjusted because the light intensity changes when the water level

decreases They were always positioned in a way that at the middle height of the liquid the given

light intensities are steady

8

23 Photometry

Measurement of optical radiation fluxes (light intensities) was performed with use of a

photometer A distinction is made in the analysis between the measurement of absorption

scattering (scattered light) and the fluorescence in liquids and gases

231 Lambert-Beer law

The Lambert-Beer law is considered the fundamental law of absorptiometry It applies to all

optical methods of analytical chemistry Therefore it is based on measuring the absorption of

radiation in the ultraviolet and visible regions of the spectrum Two laws are combined in it The

Beers law which says that the light absorption of a colored solution is proportional to the

concentration of a substance which is dissolved in a colorless solvent and the Lambert law in

which the light absorption of a solution is proportional to the way the light travels through the

sample (at constant concentration of the solute)

A ndash Absorption (excitation)

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

I ndash intensity of attenuated light

ndash Transmission

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter [cm]

ε1 ndash molar absorption coefficient

The equations shows that the absorbance is nothing else than the common logarithm of the

quotient of emitted and detected light The relationship between absorbance and transmission is

shown on the next page 1 This is a specific size in case of the absorbing substance may vary on the pH or the solvent dependent

9

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance (httpteachingshuacuk 2014)

The Law states that the fraction of the light absorbed by each layer of solution is the same which

leads to a linear function instead of a logarithmic function by using the Absorbance In terms of

analysis it is easier to have linear function This is why the effect is mainly displayed as a

function of absorbance

Usually the scattering and luminescence effects in the spectroscopy analysis are neglected

Therefore in this work the term absorbance is used (when not specified otherwise) since

extinction is the sum of the effects of absorption scattering and luminescence (Mills Cvitaš

Homann Kallay amp Kuchitsu 1993)

The law applies only under certain conditions Firstly the dissolved substance must be

homogeneously distributed in the cuvette Furthermore it should be noted that the law does not

apply for open-end concentrations This means there is a limit to the concentration that is

measurable After a certain point the absorbance no longer increases in a linear fashion caused

by an over concentration of molecules in the solution In this case light rays can no longer pass

through the medium and correspondingly it is necessary to dilute the sample

10

232 Photometer

A Photometer is in a broad sense a device that is used in biology medicine physics and

chemistry for measuring the light absorption especially for the determination of concentrations

of known substances The main approach is to illuminate a sample and to measure the resulting

light intensity with a detector Different measurement methods are used The following figure

shows the principle of the basic process with one light beam using the example of absorption

measurement

The light source (L) emits a light beam through the medium to be measured in the measuring cell

(M) and the photodetector (Ph) measures the intensity of the remaining light In the amplifier

(V) the electric signal is amplified and output as a measured value

The light source can be a tungsten mercury cadmium H2 or a D2 lamp depending on the used

spectrum Tungsten lamps for example are used in the visible wavelength range and mercury and

cadmium light sources in the ultraviolet wavelength region (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer (wwwphotometercom 2014)

11

233 Spectrophotometer

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer

Double-beam optical system Instrument Type T80 Spectral Bandwidth 2 nm (fixed slit)

Working Mode MPU ModePC Mode

Software Support MPU Software PlatformSpec UV software workstation

Wavelength Range 190 - 1100nm Wavelength Accuracy plusmn 03nm (Automatic wavelength correction) Wavelength Reproducibility 02 nm Stray Light lt 012T (220nm Nal 340nm NaNo2)

Photometric Mode Transmittance Absorbance Energy

Photometric Range -03 - 3Abs

Photometric Accuracy

plusmn 0002 Abs (0 - 05A) plusmn 0004 Abs (05 - 1A) plusmn 03 T (0 - 100 T)

Photometric Reproducibility 0002 Abs (05 - 1A) 015 T (0 ndash 100 T )

Baseline Flatness plusmn 00015 Abs (190 - 1100nm) Baseline Stability 00008 Absh (500nm0Abs 2nm Spectral

Bandwidth 2hr warm-up_ Spectral Bandwidth 2nm (fixed slit) Photometric Noise plusmn 0001 Abs (500nm 0Abs 2nmSpectral

Bandwidth)

In the case of the spectrophotometer white light is decomposed by a prism or a diffraction

grating so that only light with a specific wavelength can pass through a shutter and into the

sample solution With lenses and apertures a narrowly defined light beam is produced consisting

of parallel rays By using filters or monochromators the spectrum of the light is reduced to a

limited wavelength range

While the light passes through the sample a part of the incident light is absorbed by the

molecules in the solution causing a weakening of the light intensity which can be recognized by

the photo detector and the attenuation of light is calculated by a computer (Lehmann 1892)

12

The light attenuation is a measurement of the absorption of light and is therefore a measurement

of the concentration of the absorbing molecules in the analyzed solution In this way the

concentration of the substance can be determined using the Lambert-Beer law or a calibration

curve (Boumlcker 1979)

The final aim of the measurement is the detection of the attenuation of the light intensity by the

substance in the measuring cell The measurement result depends on the brightness of the light

source (L) and the sensitivity of the photodetector (Ph) However the properties of these

components change under the influence of fluctuations in the supply voltage temperature and

aging The single-beam therefore is not stable in the long run and must be frequently

recalibrated (wwwphotometercom 2014)

This may be justifiable for individual measurements in the laboratory but in the context of

industrial settings continuous measurement influences of the light source fluctuations have to be

eliminated This leads to the dual-beam method

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Here a semi-transparent mirror splits the ray into two beams a measurement beam (M) which

passes through the sample and impinges on a first photodetector and a reference beam (V) which

falls directly on a second receiver

The measured value is created by forming a ratio so that the variations in the luminosity of the

light source have no effect However a remaining error source is the change in the sensitivity of

the two photodetectors Therefore the optimum solution is to use two beams and only one

photoreceptor During the project an UVVIS Spectrophomater (model T80 from PG Insturments

Ltd) was used which works exactly in the described manner

13

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Again the measured value is created by calculating the ratio of the sample and reference beams

Due to a rotating disc profile (Chopper) the two beams alternate on the same photo detector This

eliminates not only the variations in the light source but also changes of sensitivity of the

photoreceptor are eliminated (Spektrum 1999)

24 Fluorimeter

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter

FluoroMaxR-4 with USB von HORIBA Lamp Vertically mounted CW 150 W Ozone-free xenon

arc lamp Gratings 1200 groovemm blazed at 330 nm (excitation) and

500 nm (emission) plane ruled Detectors Emission R928P photon counting PMT (185-850

nm) and reference photodiode for monitoring lamp output

Water Raman SN 60001 (RMS method) See Signal-to-noise ratio Slits Continuously variable from 0 to 30 nm Accuracy 05 nm Repeatability 01 nm Minimum step 00525 nm Integration time 0001 to 160 sec Software FluorEssence Monochromators Automatic self-calibration of all wavelength drives

and slits All reflective optics Czerny-Turner spectrometers

Spectral Correction Factors Included

14

Fluorometry is a molecule-spectroscopic analysis that utilizes the property of electronically

excited molecules to emit the absorbed excitation energy as luminescence radiation Since the

electronic excitation of the molecules take place by absorption of light fluorimetry is a

photoluminecense method It finds versatile applications in both organic and inorganic analysis

The outstanding features of this method are their high selectivity and high sensitivity (Zander

1981)

The process is characterized particularly by some features At first it is a direct photometric

method for qualitative and quantitative analysis It is highly sensitive and has a wide range of

linearity Furthermore there are small amounts of material required for the analysis Online as

well as in-situ analysis are possible Lastly there is no or little sample preparations required

which leads to a non-destructive procedure That means the sample can be returned without

problems (Zander 1981)

Fluorimetry is generally based on the detection of emitted luminescent radiation from a sample

or a photochemical mediator molecule (fluorescent marker)

Luminescence radiation arises when electrons move from a higher to a lower orbital This is

called Stokes shift Stokes fluorescence is the re-emission of longer wavelength photons (lower

frequency or energy) by a molecule that has absorbed photons of shorter wavelengths (higher

frequency or energy) It is characteristic for every substance (Schmidt 2000)

A prevention of fluorescence by other types of dissipation of the excitation energy may occur

For instance an energy transfer to other molecules without radiation (eg photosynthesis) or

internal conversion

The intensity of the fluorescence of a solution depends on the intensity of the excitation light

(Iα) the molar absorption coefficient ε of the fluorescent substance the concentration c of the

sample and the quantum yield Q

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

Ia ndash intensity of attenuated light

15

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter

ε ndash molar absorption coefficient

Fluorimetry is used especially often in the field of quantitative analysis because in this case the

detection sensitivity is much higher than for pure absorption photometry The reason is the ratio

of the absorption photometry where usually slightly different signals are measured (Boumlcker

1979)

The majority of chemical compounds have a fluorescence ability Almost all aromatic

hydrocarbons are characterized by fluorescence assets Nevertheless the introduction of

substituents derogates this Particularly nitro and carboxylic acid as well SH-groups and related

substituents almost completely delate the fluorescence (Schmidt 2000)

Fluorimetry has a high detection limit of 10-12 Mol whereas in the absorption analysis only up

to 10-8 Mol can be detected At high substrate concentrations attention should be paid to the fact

that the fluorescence intensity Q is no longer a linear function of the concentration c To stay in

the linear range a maximum concentration of should not be exceeded In the following

figure the structure of a fluorimeter device is presented

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device (Rouilly 2014)

16

Mercury or xenon lamps are often used as sources of excitation light Mercury vapor lamps emit

a line spectrum with high intensities in the lines (at 254 313 36566 405 546 577 630 nm )

via a low-intensity continuous background Xenon lamps have a continuous emission spectrum

but its intensity decreases in the UV range

Important properties of monochromators are their light intensity the spectral slit width and the

freedom of scattered light In modern appliances imaging holographic gratings are used All

optical elements such as lenses gratings mirrors and beam splitters influenced by their spectral

characteristics influence the intensity and polarization of the reflected and transmitted radiation

as a function of wavelength

Photomultiplier are used as which allow due to their high amplification (106 to 108) the

measuring of lower light intensities up to single photons Depending on the material of the

photocathode different types of photoreceptors can vary in terms of their absolute and spectral

sensitivities The gain of the photomultiplier depends on the applied voltage (Zander 1981)

25 Prototype

The instrument which was used for this project was designed to measure and analyze samples of

microalgae by using the method of a fluorimeter In line with the idea of inexpensive production

the construction is relatively basic A schematic diagram is presented in the graphic below

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

4

1 Introduction

Algae cultures have been utilized as an important feature of many products including

aquaculture feeds human food supplements and pharmaceuticals They have additionally been

suggested as a good candidate for fuel production

Algae are a large and diverse group of simple typically autotrophic organisms ranging from

unicellular to multicellular forms The advantages of algae such as rapid growth rate and

productivity gives preference to them contrary to higher planes Microalgae can produce 50

times more biomass compared to higher plants Even more different types of microalgae are able

to grow in a variety of environmental conditions even on the limited areas of land while they

donrsquot (contrary to crops) compete with the food market Furthermore they are easier to

manipulate for example in case of high oil content (oil yield in microalgae can exceed 75 by

weight of dry biomass) When used for biodiesel production algae can simultaneously reduce

CO2 content in exhaust gases minimize contamination by releasing inorganic salts such NH4+

NO3- and PO4- during wastewater treatment and use them as nutrient materials Such ability of

algae seems to be the perfect solution for the treatment of a bunch of waste products including

filtrates of landfills or liquid fraction of digestates

On the other hand algae growth can cause several issues in water such as rivers and legs

Eutrophication of standing water is a big problem since the industrial era has started but caused

by the huge output of waste water even floating areas are in danger For that reason a prudent

dealing of algae and wastewater is necessary to ensure existence of a healthy environment as

well as of public health

The first step then is to determine contamination levels which should be performed quickly

(preferably online) inexpensively but accurately These requirements are the same necessary

characteristics which are essential for any observation tool in the context of industrial usage of

algae (waste water treatment biofuel production and so on as mentioned above)

Due to the extensive options and the necessity for usage a large number of instruments currently

exist which differ starkly in shape price size transportability and efficiency Nevertheless

they have one commonality their investment costs are considerable Consequently one of the

main objectives of this project is to determine whether it is possible to produce a relatively

inexpensive measuring device with accurate results under the condition of an online measuring

method

5

2 Material and Methods

In the following chapter all materials conditions and the usage of them is described presicly

21 Scenedesmus sp

Scenedesmus sp is a genus of algae more precisely of the Chlorophycae It is a member of the

Scenedesmaceae family and use to life in colonies while there lifestyle is non-motile There are

more than 70 known species of Scenedesmus right now as well as some more subgenera

Scenedesmus is one of the most common freshwater genera In contrast to most of the

Scenedesmaceae Ssp can exist in unicell stage nevertheless it is most likely to find them in

coenobias (Hegewald 1997)

When saturated with ideal light O2 and nutritional conditions in addition to the absence of

predators or negative environmental induced influences Scenedesmus sp will have its highest

growth rate If the growth rate exceed a certain point it may occur that Ssp prefers to stay in a

unicell stage The reason is that larger colonies have a smaller surface-to-volume ratio which

limitates the intake of nutrients and light and causes as well sinking of the colony what

complicates the process of light and nutrients supplements additionally As deeper the colony

sinks as less light reaches the colony If the colony is already attached to the ground it looses a

big part of its surface and according to that the absorption of nutrients is impaired

Ssp is a well-known strain of microalgae which is quite dominant in case of microbial

contamination by other microbes such as fungi and bacteria and due to that used in many

different laboratory fields Furthermore it has a great potential for biofuel production caused by

its high fat content and is therefore a promising algae for biotechnological studies (Luumlrling

1999)

6

22 Culture Conditions

All cultures were cultivated in a mixed medium which was composed of the following

ingredients

Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium

Makro Nutrition gL Solution CaCl2 2H2O 3676

A MgSO4 7 H2O 3697 NaHCO3 126 K2HPO3 871

A1 NaNO3 8501 Na2SiO 9H2O 2842 Micronutrientes gL Solution Na2EDTA 436

B

FeCl3 6H2O 315 CuSO4 5H2O 001 ZnSO4 5H2O 0022 COCl2 6H2O MnCl2 4H2O Na2MoO4 2H2O

001 018 0006

105 mL was removed from each medium (A A1 and B) and mixed with 200 mL inoculum of

Scenedesmus sp The reactors were furthermore filled up with distilled water to 2 L in total

Afterwards they were deployed in front of the light sources To simulate the influence of

different light intensities the distance to the light tubes varied for every reactor The algae were

maintained in an automated culture laboratory with temperature of 25 plusmn 2 under a 12 hour

photoperiod with a light intensity of 4000 ndash 10000 lux provided by cool white fluorescent

tubes The cultures were agitated in an orbital shaker to avoid sticking The picture on the next

page shows the adjustment for the pilot batch

7

Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment

The batches were daily readjusted because the light intensity changes when the water level

decreases They were always positioned in a way that at the middle height of the liquid the given

light intensities are steady

8

23 Photometry

Measurement of optical radiation fluxes (light intensities) was performed with use of a

photometer A distinction is made in the analysis between the measurement of absorption

scattering (scattered light) and the fluorescence in liquids and gases

231 Lambert-Beer law

The Lambert-Beer law is considered the fundamental law of absorptiometry It applies to all

optical methods of analytical chemistry Therefore it is based on measuring the absorption of

radiation in the ultraviolet and visible regions of the spectrum Two laws are combined in it The

Beers law which says that the light absorption of a colored solution is proportional to the

concentration of a substance which is dissolved in a colorless solvent and the Lambert law in

which the light absorption of a solution is proportional to the way the light travels through the

sample (at constant concentration of the solute)

A ndash Absorption (excitation)

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

I ndash intensity of attenuated light

ndash Transmission

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter [cm]

ε1 ndash molar absorption coefficient

The equations shows that the absorbance is nothing else than the common logarithm of the

quotient of emitted and detected light The relationship between absorbance and transmission is

shown on the next page 1 This is a specific size in case of the absorbing substance may vary on the pH or the solvent dependent

9

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance (httpteachingshuacuk 2014)

The Law states that the fraction of the light absorbed by each layer of solution is the same which

leads to a linear function instead of a logarithmic function by using the Absorbance In terms of

analysis it is easier to have linear function This is why the effect is mainly displayed as a

function of absorbance

Usually the scattering and luminescence effects in the spectroscopy analysis are neglected

Therefore in this work the term absorbance is used (when not specified otherwise) since

extinction is the sum of the effects of absorption scattering and luminescence (Mills Cvitaš

Homann Kallay amp Kuchitsu 1993)

The law applies only under certain conditions Firstly the dissolved substance must be

homogeneously distributed in the cuvette Furthermore it should be noted that the law does not

apply for open-end concentrations This means there is a limit to the concentration that is

measurable After a certain point the absorbance no longer increases in a linear fashion caused

by an over concentration of molecules in the solution In this case light rays can no longer pass

through the medium and correspondingly it is necessary to dilute the sample

10

232 Photometer

A Photometer is in a broad sense a device that is used in biology medicine physics and

chemistry for measuring the light absorption especially for the determination of concentrations

of known substances The main approach is to illuminate a sample and to measure the resulting

light intensity with a detector Different measurement methods are used The following figure

shows the principle of the basic process with one light beam using the example of absorption

measurement

The light source (L) emits a light beam through the medium to be measured in the measuring cell

(M) and the photodetector (Ph) measures the intensity of the remaining light In the amplifier

(V) the electric signal is amplified and output as a measured value

The light source can be a tungsten mercury cadmium H2 or a D2 lamp depending on the used

spectrum Tungsten lamps for example are used in the visible wavelength range and mercury and

cadmium light sources in the ultraviolet wavelength region (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer (wwwphotometercom 2014)

11

233 Spectrophotometer

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer

Double-beam optical system Instrument Type T80 Spectral Bandwidth 2 nm (fixed slit)

Working Mode MPU ModePC Mode

Software Support MPU Software PlatformSpec UV software workstation

Wavelength Range 190 - 1100nm Wavelength Accuracy plusmn 03nm (Automatic wavelength correction) Wavelength Reproducibility 02 nm Stray Light lt 012T (220nm Nal 340nm NaNo2)

Photometric Mode Transmittance Absorbance Energy

Photometric Range -03 - 3Abs

Photometric Accuracy

plusmn 0002 Abs (0 - 05A) plusmn 0004 Abs (05 - 1A) plusmn 03 T (0 - 100 T)

Photometric Reproducibility 0002 Abs (05 - 1A) 015 T (0 ndash 100 T )

Baseline Flatness plusmn 00015 Abs (190 - 1100nm) Baseline Stability 00008 Absh (500nm0Abs 2nm Spectral

Bandwidth 2hr warm-up_ Spectral Bandwidth 2nm (fixed slit) Photometric Noise plusmn 0001 Abs (500nm 0Abs 2nmSpectral

Bandwidth)

In the case of the spectrophotometer white light is decomposed by a prism or a diffraction

grating so that only light with a specific wavelength can pass through a shutter and into the

sample solution With lenses and apertures a narrowly defined light beam is produced consisting

of parallel rays By using filters or monochromators the spectrum of the light is reduced to a

limited wavelength range

While the light passes through the sample a part of the incident light is absorbed by the

molecules in the solution causing a weakening of the light intensity which can be recognized by

the photo detector and the attenuation of light is calculated by a computer (Lehmann 1892)

12

The light attenuation is a measurement of the absorption of light and is therefore a measurement

of the concentration of the absorbing molecules in the analyzed solution In this way the

concentration of the substance can be determined using the Lambert-Beer law or a calibration

curve (Boumlcker 1979)

The final aim of the measurement is the detection of the attenuation of the light intensity by the

substance in the measuring cell The measurement result depends on the brightness of the light

source (L) and the sensitivity of the photodetector (Ph) However the properties of these

components change under the influence of fluctuations in the supply voltage temperature and

aging The single-beam therefore is not stable in the long run and must be frequently

recalibrated (wwwphotometercom 2014)

This may be justifiable for individual measurements in the laboratory but in the context of

industrial settings continuous measurement influences of the light source fluctuations have to be

eliminated This leads to the dual-beam method

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Here a semi-transparent mirror splits the ray into two beams a measurement beam (M) which

passes through the sample and impinges on a first photodetector and a reference beam (V) which

falls directly on a second receiver

The measured value is created by forming a ratio so that the variations in the luminosity of the

light source have no effect However a remaining error source is the change in the sensitivity of

the two photodetectors Therefore the optimum solution is to use two beams and only one

photoreceptor During the project an UVVIS Spectrophomater (model T80 from PG Insturments

Ltd) was used which works exactly in the described manner

13

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Again the measured value is created by calculating the ratio of the sample and reference beams

Due to a rotating disc profile (Chopper) the two beams alternate on the same photo detector This

eliminates not only the variations in the light source but also changes of sensitivity of the

photoreceptor are eliminated (Spektrum 1999)

24 Fluorimeter

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter

FluoroMaxR-4 with USB von HORIBA Lamp Vertically mounted CW 150 W Ozone-free xenon

arc lamp Gratings 1200 groovemm blazed at 330 nm (excitation) and

500 nm (emission) plane ruled Detectors Emission R928P photon counting PMT (185-850

nm) and reference photodiode for monitoring lamp output

Water Raman SN 60001 (RMS method) See Signal-to-noise ratio Slits Continuously variable from 0 to 30 nm Accuracy 05 nm Repeatability 01 nm Minimum step 00525 nm Integration time 0001 to 160 sec Software FluorEssence Monochromators Automatic self-calibration of all wavelength drives

and slits All reflective optics Czerny-Turner spectrometers

Spectral Correction Factors Included

14

Fluorometry is a molecule-spectroscopic analysis that utilizes the property of electronically

excited molecules to emit the absorbed excitation energy as luminescence radiation Since the

electronic excitation of the molecules take place by absorption of light fluorimetry is a

photoluminecense method It finds versatile applications in both organic and inorganic analysis

The outstanding features of this method are their high selectivity and high sensitivity (Zander

1981)

The process is characterized particularly by some features At first it is a direct photometric

method for qualitative and quantitative analysis It is highly sensitive and has a wide range of

linearity Furthermore there are small amounts of material required for the analysis Online as

well as in-situ analysis are possible Lastly there is no or little sample preparations required

which leads to a non-destructive procedure That means the sample can be returned without

problems (Zander 1981)

Fluorimetry is generally based on the detection of emitted luminescent radiation from a sample

or a photochemical mediator molecule (fluorescent marker)

Luminescence radiation arises when electrons move from a higher to a lower orbital This is

called Stokes shift Stokes fluorescence is the re-emission of longer wavelength photons (lower

frequency or energy) by a molecule that has absorbed photons of shorter wavelengths (higher

frequency or energy) It is characteristic for every substance (Schmidt 2000)

A prevention of fluorescence by other types of dissipation of the excitation energy may occur

For instance an energy transfer to other molecules without radiation (eg photosynthesis) or

internal conversion

The intensity of the fluorescence of a solution depends on the intensity of the excitation light

(Iα) the molar absorption coefficient ε of the fluorescent substance the concentration c of the

sample and the quantum yield Q

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

Ia ndash intensity of attenuated light

15

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter

ε ndash molar absorption coefficient

Fluorimetry is used especially often in the field of quantitative analysis because in this case the

detection sensitivity is much higher than for pure absorption photometry The reason is the ratio

of the absorption photometry where usually slightly different signals are measured (Boumlcker

1979)

The majority of chemical compounds have a fluorescence ability Almost all aromatic

hydrocarbons are characterized by fluorescence assets Nevertheless the introduction of

substituents derogates this Particularly nitro and carboxylic acid as well SH-groups and related

substituents almost completely delate the fluorescence (Schmidt 2000)

Fluorimetry has a high detection limit of 10-12 Mol whereas in the absorption analysis only up

to 10-8 Mol can be detected At high substrate concentrations attention should be paid to the fact

that the fluorescence intensity Q is no longer a linear function of the concentration c To stay in

the linear range a maximum concentration of should not be exceeded In the following

figure the structure of a fluorimeter device is presented

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device (Rouilly 2014)

16

Mercury or xenon lamps are often used as sources of excitation light Mercury vapor lamps emit

a line spectrum with high intensities in the lines (at 254 313 36566 405 546 577 630 nm )

via a low-intensity continuous background Xenon lamps have a continuous emission spectrum

but its intensity decreases in the UV range

Important properties of monochromators are their light intensity the spectral slit width and the

freedom of scattered light In modern appliances imaging holographic gratings are used All

optical elements such as lenses gratings mirrors and beam splitters influenced by their spectral

characteristics influence the intensity and polarization of the reflected and transmitted radiation

as a function of wavelength

Photomultiplier are used as which allow due to their high amplification (106 to 108) the

measuring of lower light intensities up to single photons Depending on the material of the

photocathode different types of photoreceptors can vary in terms of their absolute and spectral

sensitivities The gain of the photomultiplier depends on the applied voltage (Zander 1981)

25 Prototype

The instrument which was used for this project was designed to measure and analyze samples of

microalgae by using the method of a fluorimeter In line with the idea of inexpensive production

the construction is relatively basic A schematic diagram is presented in the graphic below

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

5

2 Material and Methods

In the following chapter all materials conditions and the usage of them is described presicly

21 Scenedesmus sp

Scenedesmus sp is a genus of algae more precisely of the Chlorophycae It is a member of the

Scenedesmaceae family and use to life in colonies while there lifestyle is non-motile There are

more than 70 known species of Scenedesmus right now as well as some more subgenera

Scenedesmus is one of the most common freshwater genera In contrast to most of the

Scenedesmaceae Ssp can exist in unicell stage nevertheless it is most likely to find them in

coenobias (Hegewald 1997)

When saturated with ideal light O2 and nutritional conditions in addition to the absence of

predators or negative environmental induced influences Scenedesmus sp will have its highest

growth rate If the growth rate exceed a certain point it may occur that Ssp prefers to stay in a

unicell stage The reason is that larger colonies have a smaller surface-to-volume ratio which

limitates the intake of nutrients and light and causes as well sinking of the colony what

complicates the process of light and nutrients supplements additionally As deeper the colony

sinks as less light reaches the colony If the colony is already attached to the ground it looses a

big part of its surface and according to that the absorption of nutrients is impaired

Ssp is a well-known strain of microalgae which is quite dominant in case of microbial

contamination by other microbes such as fungi and bacteria and due to that used in many

different laboratory fields Furthermore it has a great potential for biofuel production caused by

its high fat content and is therefore a promising algae for biotechnological studies (Luumlrling

1999)

6

22 Culture Conditions

All cultures were cultivated in a mixed medium which was composed of the following

ingredients

Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium

Makro Nutrition gL Solution CaCl2 2H2O 3676

A MgSO4 7 H2O 3697 NaHCO3 126 K2HPO3 871

A1 NaNO3 8501 Na2SiO 9H2O 2842 Micronutrientes gL Solution Na2EDTA 436

B

FeCl3 6H2O 315 CuSO4 5H2O 001 ZnSO4 5H2O 0022 COCl2 6H2O MnCl2 4H2O Na2MoO4 2H2O

001 018 0006

105 mL was removed from each medium (A A1 and B) and mixed with 200 mL inoculum of

Scenedesmus sp The reactors were furthermore filled up with distilled water to 2 L in total

Afterwards they were deployed in front of the light sources To simulate the influence of

different light intensities the distance to the light tubes varied for every reactor The algae were

maintained in an automated culture laboratory with temperature of 25 plusmn 2 under a 12 hour

photoperiod with a light intensity of 4000 ndash 10000 lux provided by cool white fluorescent

tubes The cultures were agitated in an orbital shaker to avoid sticking The picture on the next

page shows the adjustment for the pilot batch

7

Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment

The batches were daily readjusted because the light intensity changes when the water level

decreases They were always positioned in a way that at the middle height of the liquid the given

light intensities are steady

8

23 Photometry

Measurement of optical radiation fluxes (light intensities) was performed with use of a

photometer A distinction is made in the analysis between the measurement of absorption

scattering (scattered light) and the fluorescence in liquids and gases

231 Lambert-Beer law

The Lambert-Beer law is considered the fundamental law of absorptiometry It applies to all

optical methods of analytical chemistry Therefore it is based on measuring the absorption of

radiation in the ultraviolet and visible regions of the spectrum Two laws are combined in it The

Beers law which says that the light absorption of a colored solution is proportional to the

concentration of a substance which is dissolved in a colorless solvent and the Lambert law in

which the light absorption of a solution is proportional to the way the light travels through the

sample (at constant concentration of the solute)

A ndash Absorption (excitation)

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

I ndash intensity of attenuated light

ndash Transmission

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter [cm]

ε1 ndash molar absorption coefficient

The equations shows that the absorbance is nothing else than the common logarithm of the

quotient of emitted and detected light The relationship between absorbance and transmission is

shown on the next page 1 This is a specific size in case of the absorbing substance may vary on the pH or the solvent dependent

9

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance (httpteachingshuacuk 2014)

The Law states that the fraction of the light absorbed by each layer of solution is the same which

leads to a linear function instead of a logarithmic function by using the Absorbance In terms of

analysis it is easier to have linear function This is why the effect is mainly displayed as a

function of absorbance

Usually the scattering and luminescence effects in the spectroscopy analysis are neglected

Therefore in this work the term absorbance is used (when not specified otherwise) since

extinction is the sum of the effects of absorption scattering and luminescence (Mills Cvitaš

Homann Kallay amp Kuchitsu 1993)

The law applies only under certain conditions Firstly the dissolved substance must be

homogeneously distributed in the cuvette Furthermore it should be noted that the law does not

apply for open-end concentrations This means there is a limit to the concentration that is

measurable After a certain point the absorbance no longer increases in a linear fashion caused

by an over concentration of molecules in the solution In this case light rays can no longer pass

through the medium and correspondingly it is necessary to dilute the sample

10

232 Photometer

A Photometer is in a broad sense a device that is used in biology medicine physics and

chemistry for measuring the light absorption especially for the determination of concentrations

of known substances The main approach is to illuminate a sample and to measure the resulting

light intensity with a detector Different measurement methods are used The following figure

shows the principle of the basic process with one light beam using the example of absorption

measurement

The light source (L) emits a light beam through the medium to be measured in the measuring cell

(M) and the photodetector (Ph) measures the intensity of the remaining light In the amplifier

(V) the electric signal is amplified and output as a measured value

The light source can be a tungsten mercury cadmium H2 or a D2 lamp depending on the used

spectrum Tungsten lamps for example are used in the visible wavelength range and mercury and

cadmium light sources in the ultraviolet wavelength region (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer (wwwphotometercom 2014)

11

233 Spectrophotometer

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer

Double-beam optical system Instrument Type T80 Spectral Bandwidth 2 nm (fixed slit)

Working Mode MPU ModePC Mode

Software Support MPU Software PlatformSpec UV software workstation

Wavelength Range 190 - 1100nm Wavelength Accuracy plusmn 03nm (Automatic wavelength correction) Wavelength Reproducibility 02 nm Stray Light lt 012T (220nm Nal 340nm NaNo2)

Photometric Mode Transmittance Absorbance Energy

Photometric Range -03 - 3Abs

Photometric Accuracy

plusmn 0002 Abs (0 - 05A) plusmn 0004 Abs (05 - 1A) plusmn 03 T (0 - 100 T)

Photometric Reproducibility 0002 Abs (05 - 1A) 015 T (0 ndash 100 T )

Baseline Flatness plusmn 00015 Abs (190 - 1100nm) Baseline Stability 00008 Absh (500nm0Abs 2nm Spectral

Bandwidth 2hr warm-up_ Spectral Bandwidth 2nm (fixed slit) Photometric Noise plusmn 0001 Abs (500nm 0Abs 2nmSpectral

Bandwidth)

In the case of the spectrophotometer white light is decomposed by a prism or a diffraction

grating so that only light with a specific wavelength can pass through a shutter and into the

sample solution With lenses and apertures a narrowly defined light beam is produced consisting

of parallel rays By using filters or monochromators the spectrum of the light is reduced to a

limited wavelength range

While the light passes through the sample a part of the incident light is absorbed by the

molecules in the solution causing a weakening of the light intensity which can be recognized by

the photo detector and the attenuation of light is calculated by a computer (Lehmann 1892)

12

The light attenuation is a measurement of the absorption of light and is therefore a measurement

of the concentration of the absorbing molecules in the analyzed solution In this way the

concentration of the substance can be determined using the Lambert-Beer law or a calibration

curve (Boumlcker 1979)

The final aim of the measurement is the detection of the attenuation of the light intensity by the

substance in the measuring cell The measurement result depends on the brightness of the light

source (L) and the sensitivity of the photodetector (Ph) However the properties of these

components change under the influence of fluctuations in the supply voltage temperature and

aging The single-beam therefore is not stable in the long run and must be frequently

recalibrated (wwwphotometercom 2014)

This may be justifiable for individual measurements in the laboratory but in the context of

industrial settings continuous measurement influences of the light source fluctuations have to be

eliminated This leads to the dual-beam method

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Here a semi-transparent mirror splits the ray into two beams a measurement beam (M) which

passes through the sample and impinges on a first photodetector and a reference beam (V) which

falls directly on a second receiver

The measured value is created by forming a ratio so that the variations in the luminosity of the

light source have no effect However a remaining error source is the change in the sensitivity of

the two photodetectors Therefore the optimum solution is to use two beams and only one

photoreceptor During the project an UVVIS Spectrophomater (model T80 from PG Insturments

Ltd) was used which works exactly in the described manner

13

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Again the measured value is created by calculating the ratio of the sample and reference beams

Due to a rotating disc profile (Chopper) the two beams alternate on the same photo detector This

eliminates not only the variations in the light source but also changes of sensitivity of the

photoreceptor are eliminated (Spektrum 1999)

24 Fluorimeter

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter

FluoroMaxR-4 with USB von HORIBA Lamp Vertically mounted CW 150 W Ozone-free xenon

arc lamp Gratings 1200 groovemm blazed at 330 nm (excitation) and

500 nm (emission) plane ruled Detectors Emission R928P photon counting PMT (185-850

nm) and reference photodiode for monitoring lamp output

Water Raman SN 60001 (RMS method) See Signal-to-noise ratio Slits Continuously variable from 0 to 30 nm Accuracy 05 nm Repeatability 01 nm Minimum step 00525 nm Integration time 0001 to 160 sec Software FluorEssence Monochromators Automatic self-calibration of all wavelength drives

and slits All reflective optics Czerny-Turner spectrometers

Spectral Correction Factors Included

14

Fluorometry is a molecule-spectroscopic analysis that utilizes the property of electronically

excited molecules to emit the absorbed excitation energy as luminescence radiation Since the

electronic excitation of the molecules take place by absorption of light fluorimetry is a

photoluminecense method It finds versatile applications in both organic and inorganic analysis

The outstanding features of this method are their high selectivity and high sensitivity (Zander

1981)

The process is characterized particularly by some features At first it is a direct photometric

method for qualitative and quantitative analysis It is highly sensitive and has a wide range of

linearity Furthermore there are small amounts of material required for the analysis Online as

well as in-situ analysis are possible Lastly there is no or little sample preparations required

which leads to a non-destructive procedure That means the sample can be returned without

problems (Zander 1981)

Fluorimetry is generally based on the detection of emitted luminescent radiation from a sample

or a photochemical mediator molecule (fluorescent marker)

Luminescence radiation arises when electrons move from a higher to a lower orbital This is

called Stokes shift Stokes fluorescence is the re-emission of longer wavelength photons (lower

frequency or energy) by a molecule that has absorbed photons of shorter wavelengths (higher

frequency or energy) It is characteristic for every substance (Schmidt 2000)

A prevention of fluorescence by other types of dissipation of the excitation energy may occur

For instance an energy transfer to other molecules without radiation (eg photosynthesis) or

internal conversion

The intensity of the fluorescence of a solution depends on the intensity of the excitation light

(Iα) the molar absorption coefficient ε of the fluorescent substance the concentration c of the

sample and the quantum yield Q

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

Ia ndash intensity of attenuated light

15

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter

ε ndash molar absorption coefficient

Fluorimetry is used especially often in the field of quantitative analysis because in this case the

detection sensitivity is much higher than for pure absorption photometry The reason is the ratio

of the absorption photometry where usually slightly different signals are measured (Boumlcker

1979)

The majority of chemical compounds have a fluorescence ability Almost all aromatic

hydrocarbons are characterized by fluorescence assets Nevertheless the introduction of

substituents derogates this Particularly nitro and carboxylic acid as well SH-groups and related

substituents almost completely delate the fluorescence (Schmidt 2000)

Fluorimetry has a high detection limit of 10-12 Mol whereas in the absorption analysis only up

to 10-8 Mol can be detected At high substrate concentrations attention should be paid to the fact

that the fluorescence intensity Q is no longer a linear function of the concentration c To stay in

the linear range a maximum concentration of should not be exceeded In the following

figure the structure of a fluorimeter device is presented

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device (Rouilly 2014)

16

Mercury or xenon lamps are often used as sources of excitation light Mercury vapor lamps emit

a line spectrum with high intensities in the lines (at 254 313 36566 405 546 577 630 nm )

via a low-intensity continuous background Xenon lamps have a continuous emission spectrum

but its intensity decreases in the UV range

Important properties of monochromators are their light intensity the spectral slit width and the

freedom of scattered light In modern appliances imaging holographic gratings are used All

optical elements such as lenses gratings mirrors and beam splitters influenced by their spectral

characteristics influence the intensity and polarization of the reflected and transmitted radiation

as a function of wavelength

Photomultiplier are used as which allow due to their high amplification (106 to 108) the

measuring of lower light intensities up to single photons Depending on the material of the

photocathode different types of photoreceptors can vary in terms of their absolute and spectral

sensitivities The gain of the photomultiplier depends on the applied voltage (Zander 1981)

25 Prototype

The instrument which was used for this project was designed to measure and analyze samples of

microalgae by using the method of a fluorimeter In line with the idea of inexpensive production

the construction is relatively basic A schematic diagram is presented in the graphic below

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

6

22 Culture Conditions

All cultures were cultivated in a mixed medium which was composed of the following

ingredients

Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium

Makro Nutrition gL Solution CaCl2 2H2O 3676

A MgSO4 7 H2O 3697 NaHCO3 126 K2HPO3 871

A1 NaNO3 8501 Na2SiO 9H2O 2842 Micronutrientes gL Solution Na2EDTA 436

B

FeCl3 6H2O 315 CuSO4 5H2O 001 ZnSO4 5H2O 0022 COCl2 6H2O MnCl2 4H2O Na2MoO4 2H2O

001 018 0006

105 mL was removed from each medium (A A1 and B) and mixed with 200 mL inoculum of

Scenedesmus sp The reactors were furthermore filled up with distilled water to 2 L in total

Afterwards they were deployed in front of the light sources To simulate the influence of

different light intensities the distance to the light tubes varied for every reactor The algae were

maintained in an automated culture laboratory with temperature of 25 plusmn 2 under a 12 hour

photoperiod with a light intensity of 4000 ndash 10000 lux provided by cool white fluorescent

tubes The cultures were agitated in an orbital shaker to avoid sticking The picture on the next

page shows the adjustment for the pilot batch

7

Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment

The batches were daily readjusted because the light intensity changes when the water level

decreases They were always positioned in a way that at the middle height of the liquid the given

light intensities are steady

8

23 Photometry

Measurement of optical radiation fluxes (light intensities) was performed with use of a

photometer A distinction is made in the analysis between the measurement of absorption

scattering (scattered light) and the fluorescence in liquids and gases

231 Lambert-Beer law

The Lambert-Beer law is considered the fundamental law of absorptiometry It applies to all

optical methods of analytical chemistry Therefore it is based on measuring the absorption of

radiation in the ultraviolet and visible regions of the spectrum Two laws are combined in it The

Beers law which says that the light absorption of a colored solution is proportional to the

concentration of a substance which is dissolved in a colorless solvent and the Lambert law in

which the light absorption of a solution is proportional to the way the light travels through the

sample (at constant concentration of the solute)

A ndash Absorption (excitation)

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

I ndash intensity of attenuated light

ndash Transmission

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter [cm]

ε1 ndash molar absorption coefficient

The equations shows that the absorbance is nothing else than the common logarithm of the

quotient of emitted and detected light The relationship between absorbance and transmission is

shown on the next page 1 This is a specific size in case of the absorbing substance may vary on the pH or the solvent dependent

9

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance (httpteachingshuacuk 2014)

The Law states that the fraction of the light absorbed by each layer of solution is the same which

leads to a linear function instead of a logarithmic function by using the Absorbance In terms of

analysis it is easier to have linear function This is why the effect is mainly displayed as a

function of absorbance

Usually the scattering and luminescence effects in the spectroscopy analysis are neglected

Therefore in this work the term absorbance is used (when not specified otherwise) since

extinction is the sum of the effects of absorption scattering and luminescence (Mills Cvitaš

Homann Kallay amp Kuchitsu 1993)

The law applies only under certain conditions Firstly the dissolved substance must be

homogeneously distributed in the cuvette Furthermore it should be noted that the law does not

apply for open-end concentrations This means there is a limit to the concentration that is

measurable After a certain point the absorbance no longer increases in a linear fashion caused

by an over concentration of molecules in the solution In this case light rays can no longer pass

through the medium and correspondingly it is necessary to dilute the sample

10

232 Photometer

A Photometer is in a broad sense a device that is used in biology medicine physics and

chemistry for measuring the light absorption especially for the determination of concentrations

of known substances The main approach is to illuminate a sample and to measure the resulting

light intensity with a detector Different measurement methods are used The following figure

shows the principle of the basic process with one light beam using the example of absorption

measurement

The light source (L) emits a light beam through the medium to be measured in the measuring cell

(M) and the photodetector (Ph) measures the intensity of the remaining light In the amplifier

(V) the electric signal is amplified and output as a measured value

The light source can be a tungsten mercury cadmium H2 or a D2 lamp depending on the used

spectrum Tungsten lamps for example are used in the visible wavelength range and mercury and

cadmium light sources in the ultraviolet wavelength region (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer (wwwphotometercom 2014)

11

233 Spectrophotometer

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer

Double-beam optical system Instrument Type T80 Spectral Bandwidth 2 nm (fixed slit)

Working Mode MPU ModePC Mode

Software Support MPU Software PlatformSpec UV software workstation

Wavelength Range 190 - 1100nm Wavelength Accuracy plusmn 03nm (Automatic wavelength correction) Wavelength Reproducibility 02 nm Stray Light lt 012T (220nm Nal 340nm NaNo2)

Photometric Mode Transmittance Absorbance Energy

Photometric Range -03 - 3Abs

Photometric Accuracy

plusmn 0002 Abs (0 - 05A) plusmn 0004 Abs (05 - 1A) plusmn 03 T (0 - 100 T)

Photometric Reproducibility 0002 Abs (05 - 1A) 015 T (0 ndash 100 T )

Baseline Flatness plusmn 00015 Abs (190 - 1100nm) Baseline Stability 00008 Absh (500nm0Abs 2nm Spectral

Bandwidth 2hr warm-up_ Spectral Bandwidth 2nm (fixed slit) Photometric Noise plusmn 0001 Abs (500nm 0Abs 2nmSpectral

Bandwidth)

In the case of the spectrophotometer white light is decomposed by a prism or a diffraction

grating so that only light with a specific wavelength can pass through a shutter and into the

sample solution With lenses and apertures a narrowly defined light beam is produced consisting

of parallel rays By using filters or monochromators the spectrum of the light is reduced to a

limited wavelength range

While the light passes through the sample a part of the incident light is absorbed by the

molecules in the solution causing a weakening of the light intensity which can be recognized by

the photo detector and the attenuation of light is calculated by a computer (Lehmann 1892)

12

The light attenuation is a measurement of the absorption of light and is therefore a measurement

of the concentration of the absorbing molecules in the analyzed solution In this way the

concentration of the substance can be determined using the Lambert-Beer law or a calibration

curve (Boumlcker 1979)

The final aim of the measurement is the detection of the attenuation of the light intensity by the

substance in the measuring cell The measurement result depends on the brightness of the light

source (L) and the sensitivity of the photodetector (Ph) However the properties of these

components change under the influence of fluctuations in the supply voltage temperature and

aging The single-beam therefore is not stable in the long run and must be frequently

recalibrated (wwwphotometercom 2014)

This may be justifiable for individual measurements in the laboratory but in the context of

industrial settings continuous measurement influences of the light source fluctuations have to be

eliminated This leads to the dual-beam method

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Here a semi-transparent mirror splits the ray into two beams a measurement beam (M) which

passes through the sample and impinges on a first photodetector and a reference beam (V) which

falls directly on a second receiver

The measured value is created by forming a ratio so that the variations in the luminosity of the

light source have no effect However a remaining error source is the change in the sensitivity of

the two photodetectors Therefore the optimum solution is to use two beams and only one

photoreceptor During the project an UVVIS Spectrophomater (model T80 from PG Insturments

Ltd) was used which works exactly in the described manner

13

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Again the measured value is created by calculating the ratio of the sample and reference beams

Due to a rotating disc profile (Chopper) the two beams alternate on the same photo detector This

eliminates not only the variations in the light source but also changes of sensitivity of the

photoreceptor are eliminated (Spektrum 1999)

24 Fluorimeter

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter

FluoroMaxR-4 with USB von HORIBA Lamp Vertically mounted CW 150 W Ozone-free xenon

arc lamp Gratings 1200 groovemm blazed at 330 nm (excitation) and

500 nm (emission) plane ruled Detectors Emission R928P photon counting PMT (185-850

nm) and reference photodiode for monitoring lamp output

Water Raman SN 60001 (RMS method) See Signal-to-noise ratio Slits Continuously variable from 0 to 30 nm Accuracy 05 nm Repeatability 01 nm Minimum step 00525 nm Integration time 0001 to 160 sec Software FluorEssence Monochromators Automatic self-calibration of all wavelength drives

and slits All reflective optics Czerny-Turner spectrometers

Spectral Correction Factors Included

14

Fluorometry is a molecule-spectroscopic analysis that utilizes the property of electronically

excited molecules to emit the absorbed excitation energy as luminescence radiation Since the

electronic excitation of the molecules take place by absorption of light fluorimetry is a

photoluminecense method It finds versatile applications in both organic and inorganic analysis

The outstanding features of this method are their high selectivity and high sensitivity (Zander

1981)

The process is characterized particularly by some features At first it is a direct photometric

method for qualitative and quantitative analysis It is highly sensitive and has a wide range of

linearity Furthermore there are small amounts of material required for the analysis Online as

well as in-situ analysis are possible Lastly there is no or little sample preparations required

which leads to a non-destructive procedure That means the sample can be returned without

problems (Zander 1981)

Fluorimetry is generally based on the detection of emitted luminescent radiation from a sample

or a photochemical mediator molecule (fluorescent marker)

Luminescence radiation arises when electrons move from a higher to a lower orbital This is

called Stokes shift Stokes fluorescence is the re-emission of longer wavelength photons (lower

frequency or energy) by a molecule that has absorbed photons of shorter wavelengths (higher

frequency or energy) It is characteristic for every substance (Schmidt 2000)

A prevention of fluorescence by other types of dissipation of the excitation energy may occur

For instance an energy transfer to other molecules without radiation (eg photosynthesis) or

internal conversion

The intensity of the fluorescence of a solution depends on the intensity of the excitation light

(Iα) the molar absorption coefficient ε of the fluorescent substance the concentration c of the

sample and the quantum yield Q

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

Ia ndash intensity of attenuated light

15

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter

ε ndash molar absorption coefficient

Fluorimetry is used especially often in the field of quantitative analysis because in this case the

detection sensitivity is much higher than for pure absorption photometry The reason is the ratio

of the absorption photometry where usually slightly different signals are measured (Boumlcker

1979)

The majority of chemical compounds have a fluorescence ability Almost all aromatic

hydrocarbons are characterized by fluorescence assets Nevertheless the introduction of

substituents derogates this Particularly nitro and carboxylic acid as well SH-groups and related

substituents almost completely delate the fluorescence (Schmidt 2000)

Fluorimetry has a high detection limit of 10-12 Mol whereas in the absorption analysis only up

to 10-8 Mol can be detected At high substrate concentrations attention should be paid to the fact

that the fluorescence intensity Q is no longer a linear function of the concentration c To stay in

the linear range a maximum concentration of should not be exceeded In the following

figure the structure of a fluorimeter device is presented

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device (Rouilly 2014)

16

Mercury or xenon lamps are often used as sources of excitation light Mercury vapor lamps emit

a line spectrum with high intensities in the lines (at 254 313 36566 405 546 577 630 nm )

via a low-intensity continuous background Xenon lamps have a continuous emission spectrum

but its intensity decreases in the UV range

Important properties of monochromators are their light intensity the spectral slit width and the

freedom of scattered light In modern appliances imaging holographic gratings are used All

optical elements such as lenses gratings mirrors and beam splitters influenced by their spectral

characteristics influence the intensity and polarization of the reflected and transmitted radiation

as a function of wavelength

Photomultiplier are used as which allow due to their high amplification (106 to 108) the

measuring of lower light intensities up to single photons Depending on the material of the

photocathode different types of photoreceptors can vary in terms of their absolute and spectral

sensitivities The gain of the photomultiplier depends on the applied voltage (Zander 1981)

25 Prototype

The instrument which was used for this project was designed to measure and analyze samples of

microalgae by using the method of a fluorimeter In line with the idea of inexpensive production

the construction is relatively basic A schematic diagram is presented in the graphic below

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

7

Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment

The batches were daily readjusted because the light intensity changes when the water level

decreases They were always positioned in a way that at the middle height of the liquid the given

light intensities are steady

8

23 Photometry

Measurement of optical radiation fluxes (light intensities) was performed with use of a

photometer A distinction is made in the analysis between the measurement of absorption

scattering (scattered light) and the fluorescence in liquids and gases

231 Lambert-Beer law

The Lambert-Beer law is considered the fundamental law of absorptiometry It applies to all

optical methods of analytical chemistry Therefore it is based on measuring the absorption of

radiation in the ultraviolet and visible regions of the spectrum Two laws are combined in it The

Beers law which says that the light absorption of a colored solution is proportional to the

concentration of a substance which is dissolved in a colorless solvent and the Lambert law in

which the light absorption of a solution is proportional to the way the light travels through the

sample (at constant concentration of the solute)

A ndash Absorption (excitation)

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

I ndash intensity of attenuated light

ndash Transmission

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter [cm]

ε1 ndash molar absorption coefficient

The equations shows that the absorbance is nothing else than the common logarithm of the

quotient of emitted and detected light The relationship between absorbance and transmission is

shown on the next page 1 This is a specific size in case of the absorbing substance may vary on the pH or the solvent dependent

9

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance (httpteachingshuacuk 2014)

The Law states that the fraction of the light absorbed by each layer of solution is the same which

leads to a linear function instead of a logarithmic function by using the Absorbance In terms of

analysis it is easier to have linear function This is why the effect is mainly displayed as a

function of absorbance

Usually the scattering and luminescence effects in the spectroscopy analysis are neglected

Therefore in this work the term absorbance is used (when not specified otherwise) since

extinction is the sum of the effects of absorption scattering and luminescence (Mills Cvitaš

Homann Kallay amp Kuchitsu 1993)

The law applies only under certain conditions Firstly the dissolved substance must be

homogeneously distributed in the cuvette Furthermore it should be noted that the law does not

apply for open-end concentrations This means there is a limit to the concentration that is

measurable After a certain point the absorbance no longer increases in a linear fashion caused

by an over concentration of molecules in the solution In this case light rays can no longer pass

through the medium and correspondingly it is necessary to dilute the sample

10

232 Photometer

A Photometer is in a broad sense a device that is used in biology medicine physics and

chemistry for measuring the light absorption especially for the determination of concentrations

of known substances The main approach is to illuminate a sample and to measure the resulting

light intensity with a detector Different measurement methods are used The following figure

shows the principle of the basic process with one light beam using the example of absorption

measurement

The light source (L) emits a light beam through the medium to be measured in the measuring cell

(M) and the photodetector (Ph) measures the intensity of the remaining light In the amplifier

(V) the electric signal is amplified and output as a measured value

The light source can be a tungsten mercury cadmium H2 or a D2 lamp depending on the used

spectrum Tungsten lamps for example are used in the visible wavelength range and mercury and

cadmium light sources in the ultraviolet wavelength region (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer (wwwphotometercom 2014)

11

233 Spectrophotometer

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer

Double-beam optical system Instrument Type T80 Spectral Bandwidth 2 nm (fixed slit)

Working Mode MPU ModePC Mode

Software Support MPU Software PlatformSpec UV software workstation

Wavelength Range 190 - 1100nm Wavelength Accuracy plusmn 03nm (Automatic wavelength correction) Wavelength Reproducibility 02 nm Stray Light lt 012T (220nm Nal 340nm NaNo2)

Photometric Mode Transmittance Absorbance Energy

Photometric Range -03 - 3Abs

Photometric Accuracy

plusmn 0002 Abs (0 - 05A) plusmn 0004 Abs (05 - 1A) plusmn 03 T (0 - 100 T)

Photometric Reproducibility 0002 Abs (05 - 1A) 015 T (0 ndash 100 T )

Baseline Flatness plusmn 00015 Abs (190 - 1100nm) Baseline Stability 00008 Absh (500nm0Abs 2nm Spectral

Bandwidth 2hr warm-up_ Spectral Bandwidth 2nm (fixed slit) Photometric Noise plusmn 0001 Abs (500nm 0Abs 2nmSpectral

Bandwidth)

In the case of the spectrophotometer white light is decomposed by a prism or a diffraction

grating so that only light with a specific wavelength can pass through a shutter and into the

sample solution With lenses and apertures a narrowly defined light beam is produced consisting

of parallel rays By using filters or monochromators the spectrum of the light is reduced to a

limited wavelength range

While the light passes through the sample a part of the incident light is absorbed by the

molecules in the solution causing a weakening of the light intensity which can be recognized by

the photo detector and the attenuation of light is calculated by a computer (Lehmann 1892)

12

The light attenuation is a measurement of the absorption of light and is therefore a measurement

of the concentration of the absorbing molecules in the analyzed solution In this way the

concentration of the substance can be determined using the Lambert-Beer law or a calibration

curve (Boumlcker 1979)

The final aim of the measurement is the detection of the attenuation of the light intensity by the

substance in the measuring cell The measurement result depends on the brightness of the light

source (L) and the sensitivity of the photodetector (Ph) However the properties of these

components change under the influence of fluctuations in the supply voltage temperature and

aging The single-beam therefore is not stable in the long run and must be frequently

recalibrated (wwwphotometercom 2014)

This may be justifiable for individual measurements in the laboratory but in the context of

industrial settings continuous measurement influences of the light source fluctuations have to be

eliminated This leads to the dual-beam method

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Here a semi-transparent mirror splits the ray into two beams a measurement beam (M) which

passes through the sample and impinges on a first photodetector and a reference beam (V) which

falls directly on a second receiver

The measured value is created by forming a ratio so that the variations in the luminosity of the

light source have no effect However a remaining error source is the change in the sensitivity of

the two photodetectors Therefore the optimum solution is to use two beams and only one

photoreceptor During the project an UVVIS Spectrophomater (model T80 from PG Insturments

Ltd) was used which works exactly in the described manner

13

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Again the measured value is created by calculating the ratio of the sample and reference beams

Due to a rotating disc profile (Chopper) the two beams alternate on the same photo detector This

eliminates not only the variations in the light source but also changes of sensitivity of the

photoreceptor are eliminated (Spektrum 1999)

24 Fluorimeter

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter

FluoroMaxR-4 with USB von HORIBA Lamp Vertically mounted CW 150 W Ozone-free xenon

arc lamp Gratings 1200 groovemm blazed at 330 nm (excitation) and

500 nm (emission) plane ruled Detectors Emission R928P photon counting PMT (185-850

nm) and reference photodiode for monitoring lamp output

Water Raman SN 60001 (RMS method) See Signal-to-noise ratio Slits Continuously variable from 0 to 30 nm Accuracy 05 nm Repeatability 01 nm Minimum step 00525 nm Integration time 0001 to 160 sec Software FluorEssence Monochromators Automatic self-calibration of all wavelength drives

and slits All reflective optics Czerny-Turner spectrometers

Spectral Correction Factors Included

14

Fluorometry is a molecule-spectroscopic analysis that utilizes the property of electronically

excited molecules to emit the absorbed excitation energy as luminescence radiation Since the

electronic excitation of the molecules take place by absorption of light fluorimetry is a

photoluminecense method It finds versatile applications in both organic and inorganic analysis

The outstanding features of this method are their high selectivity and high sensitivity (Zander

1981)

The process is characterized particularly by some features At first it is a direct photometric

method for qualitative and quantitative analysis It is highly sensitive and has a wide range of

linearity Furthermore there are small amounts of material required for the analysis Online as

well as in-situ analysis are possible Lastly there is no or little sample preparations required

which leads to a non-destructive procedure That means the sample can be returned without

problems (Zander 1981)

Fluorimetry is generally based on the detection of emitted luminescent radiation from a sample

or a photochemical mediator molecule (fluorescent marker)

Luminescence radiation arises when electrons move from a higher to a lower orbital This is

called Stokes shift Stokes fluorescence is the re-emission of longer wavelength photons (lower

frequency or energy) by a molecule that has absorbed photons of shorter wavelengths (higher

frequency or energy) It is characteristic for every substance (Schmidt 2000)

A prevention of fluorescence by other types of dissipation of the excitation energy may occur

For instance an energy transfer to other molecules without radiation (eg photosynthesis) or

internal conversion

The intensity of the fluorescence of a solution depends on the intensity of the excitation light

(Iα) the molar absorption coefficient ε of the fluorescent substance the concentration c of the

sample and the quantum yield Q

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

Ia ndash intensity of attenuated light

15

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter

ε ndash molar absorption coefficient

Fluorimetry is used especially often in the field of quantitative analysis because in this case the

detection sensitivity is much higher than for pure absorption photometry The reason is the ratio

of the absorption photometry where usually slightly different signals are measured (Boumlcker

1979)

The majority of chemical compounds have a fluorescence ability Almost all aromatic

hydrocarbons are characterized by fluorescence assets Nevertheless the introduction of

substituents derogates this Particularly nitro and carboxylic acid as well SH-groups and related

substituents almost completely delate the fluorescence (Schmidt 2000)

Fluorimetry has a high detection limit of 10-12 Mol whereas in the absorption analysis only up

to 10-8 Mol can be detected At high substrate concentrations attention should be paid to the fact

that the fluorescence intensity Q is no longer a linear function of the concentration c To stay in

the linear range a maximum concentration of should not be exceeded In the following

figure the structure of a fluorimeter device is presented

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device (Rouilly 2014)

16

Mercury or xenon lamps are often used as sources of excitation light Mercury vapor lamps emit

a line spectrum with high intensities in the lines (at 254 313 36566 405 546 577 630 nm )

via a low-intensity continuous background Xenon lamps have a continuous emission spectrum

but its intensity decreases in the UV range

Important properties of monochromators are their light intensity the spectral slit width and the

freedom of scattered light In modern appliances imaging holographic gratings are used All

optical elements such as lenses gratings mirrors and beam splitters influenced by their spectral

characteristics influence the intensity and polarization of the reflected and transmitted radiation

as a function of wavelength

Photomultiplier are used as which allow due to their high amplification (106 to 108) the

measuring of lower light intensities up to single photons Depending on the material of the

photocathode different types of photoreceptors can vary in terms of their absolute and spectral

sensitivities The gain of the photomultiplier depends on the applied voltage (Zander 1981)

25 Prototype

The instrument which was used for this project was designed to measure and analyze samples of

microalgae by using the method of a fluorimeter In line with the idea of inexpensive production

the construction is relatively basic A schematic diagram is presented in the graphic below

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

8

23 Photometry

Measurement of optical radiation fluxes (light intensities) was performed with use of a

photometer A distinction is made in the analysis between the measurement of absorption

scattering (scattered light) and the fluorescence in liquids and gases

231 Lambert-Beer law

The Lambert-Beer law is considered the fundamental law of absorptiometry It applies to all

optical methods of analytical chemistry Therefore it is based on measuring the absorption of

radiation in the ultraviolet and visible regions of the spectrum Two laws are combined in it The

Beers law which says that the light absorption of a colored solution is proportional to the

concentration of a substance which is dissolved in a colorless solvent and the Lambert law in

which the light absorption of a solution is proportional to the way the light travels through the

sample (at constant concentration of the solute)

A ndash Absorption (excitation)

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

I ndash intensity of attenuated light

ndash Transmission

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter [cm]

ε1 ndash molar absorption coefficient

The equations shows that the absorbance is nothing else than the common logarithm of the

quotient of emitted and detected light The relationship between absorbance and transmission is

shown on the next page 1 This is a specific size in case of the absorbing substance may vary on the pH or the solvent dependent

9

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance (httpteachingshuacuk 2014)

The Law states that the fraction of the light absorbed by each layer of solution is the same which

leads to a linear function instead of a logarithmic function by using the Absorbance In terms of

analysis it is easier to have linear function This is why the effect is mainly displayed as a

function of absorbance

Usually the scattering and luminescence effects in the spectroscopy analysis are neglected

Therefore in this work the term absorbance is used (when not specified otherwise) since

extinction is the sum of the effects of absorption scattering and luminescence (Mills Cvitaš

Homann Kallay amp Kuchitsu 1993)

The law applies only under certain conditions Firstly the dissolved substance must be

homogeneously distributed in the cuvette Furthermore it should be noted that the law does not

apply for open-end concentrations This means there is a limit to the concentration that is

measurable After a certain point the absorbance no longer increases in a linear fashion caused

by an over concentration of molecules in the solution In this case light rays can no longer pass

through the medium and correspondingly it is necessary to dilute the sample

10

232 Photometer

A Photometer is in a broad sense a device that is used in biology medicine physics and

chemistry for measuring the light absorption especially for the determination of concentrations

of known substances The main approach is to illuminate a sample and to measure the resulting

light intensity with a detector Different measurement methods are used The following figure

shows the principle of the basic process with one light beam using the example of absorption

measurement

The light source (L) emits a light beam through the medium to be measured in the measuring cell

(M) and the photodetector (Ph) measures the intensity of the remaining light In the amplifier

(V) the electric signal is amplified and output as a measured value

The light source can be a tungsten mercury cadmium H2 or a D2 lamp depending on the used

spectrum Tungsten lamps for example are used in the visible wavelength range and mercury and

cadmium light sources in the ultraviolet wavelength region (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer (wwwphotometercom 2014)

11

233 Spectrophotometer

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer

Double-beam optical system Instrument Type T80 Spectral Bandwidth 2 nm (fixed slit)

Working Mode MPU ModePC Mode

Software Support MPU Software PlatformSpec UV software workstation

Wavelength Range 190 - 1100nm Wavelength Accuracy plusmn 03nm (Automatic wavelength correction) Wavelength Reproducibility 02 nm Stray Light lt 012T (220nm Nal 340nm NaNo2)

Photometric Mode Transmittance Absorbance Energy

Photometric Range -03 - 3Abs

Photometric Accuracy

plusmn 0002 Abs (0 - 05A) plusmn 0004 Abs (05 - 1A) plusmn 03 T (0 - 100 T)

Photometric Reproducibility 0002 Abs (05 - 1A) 015 T (0 ndash 100 T )

Baseline Flatness plusmn 00015 Abs (190 - 1100nm) Baseline Stability 00008 Absh (500nm0Abs 2nm Spectral

Bandwidth 2hr warm-up_ Spectral Bandwidth 2nm (fixed slit) Photometric Noise plusmn 0001 Abs (500nm 0Abs 2nmSpectral

Bandwidth)

In the case of the spectrophotometer white light is decomposed by a prism or a diffraction

grating so that only light with a specific wavelength can pass through a shutter and into the

sample solution With lenses and apertures a narrowly defined light beam is produced consisting

of parallel rays By using filters or monochromators the spectrum of the light is reduced to a

limited wavelength range

While the light passes through the sample a part of the incident light is absorbed by the

molecules in the solution causing a weakening of the light intensity which can be recognized by

the photo detector and the attenuation of light is calculated by a computer (Lehmann 1892)

12

The light attenuation is a measurement of the absorption of light and is therefore a measurement

of the concentration of the absorbing molecules in the analyzed solution In this way the

concentration of the substance can be determined using the Lambert-Beer law or a calibration

curve (Boumlcker 1979)

The final aim of the measurement is the detection of the attenuation of the light intensity by the

substance in the measuring cell The measurement result depends on the brightness of the light

source (L) and the sensitivity of the photodetector (Ph) However the properties of these

components change under the influence of fluctuations in the supply voltage temperature and

aging The single-beam therefore is not stable in the long run and must be frequently

recalibrated (wwwphotometercom 2014)

This may be justifiable for individual measurements in the laboratory but in the context of

industrial settings continuous measurement influences of the light source fluctuations have to be

eliminated This leads to the dual-beam method

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Here a semi-transparent mirror splits the ray into two beams a measurement beam (M) which

passes through the sample and impinges on a first photodetector and a reference beam (V) which

falls directly on a second receiver

The measured value is created by forming a ratio so that the variations in the luminosity of the

light source have no effect However a remaining error source is the change in the sensitivity of

the two photodetectors Therefore the optimum solution is to use two beams and only one

photoreceptor During the project an UVVIS Spectrophomater (model T80 from PG Insturments

Ltd) was used which works exactly in the described manner

13

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Again the measured value is created by calculating the ratio of the sample and reference beams

Due to a rotating disc profile (Chopper) the two beams alternate on the same photo detector This

eliminates not only the variations in the light source but also changes of sensitivity of the

photoreceptor are eliminated (Spektrum 1999)

24 Fluorimeter

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter

FluoroMaxR-4 with USB von HORIBA Lamp Vertically mounted CW 150 W Ozone-free xenon

arc lamp Gratings 1200 groovemm blazed at 330 nm (excitation) and

500 nm (emission) plane ruled Detectors Emission R928P photon counting PMT (185-850

nm) and reference photodiode for monitoring lamp output

Water Raman SN 60001 (RMS method) See Signal-to-noise ratio Slits Continuously variable from 0 to 30 nm Accuracy 05 nm Repeatability 01 nm Minimum step 00525 nm Integration time 0001 to 160 sec Software FluorEssence Monochromators Automatic self-calibration of all wavelength drives

and slits All reflective optics Czerny-Turner spectrometers

Spectral Correction Factors Included

14

Fluorometry is a molecule-spectroscopic analysis that utilizes the property of electronically

excited molecules to emit the absorbed excitation energy as luminescence radiation Since the

electronic excitation of the molecules take place by absorption of light fluorimetry is a

photoluminecense method It finds versatile applications in both organic and inorganic analysis

The outstanding features of this method are their high selectivity and high sensitivity (Zander

1981)

The process is characterized particularly by some features At first it is a direct photometric

method for qualitative and quantitative analysis It is highly sensitive and has a wide range of

linearity Furthermore there are small amounts of material required for the analysis Online as

well as in-situ analysis are possible Lastly there is no or little sample preparations required

which leads to a non-destructive procedure That means the sample can be returned without

problems (Zander 1981)

Fluorimetry is generally based on the detection of emitted luminescent radiation from a sample

or a photochemical mediator molecule (fluorescent marker)

Luminescence radiation arises when electrons move from a higher to a lower orbital This is

called Stokes shift Stokes fluorescence is the re-emission of longer wavelength photons (lower

frequency or energy) by a molecule that has absorbed photons of shorter wavelengths (higher

frequency or energy) It is characteristic for every substance (Schmidt 2000)

A prevention of fluorescence by other types of dissipation of the excitation energy may occur

For instance an energy transfer to other molecules without radiation (eg photosynthesis) or

internal conversion

The intensity of the fluorescence of a solution depends on the intensity of the excitation light

(Iα) the molar absorption coefficient ε of the fluorescent substance the concentration c of the

sample and the quantum yield Q

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

Ia ndash intensity of attenuated light

15

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter

ε ndash molar absorption coefficient

Fluorimetry is used especially often in the field of quantitative analysis because in this case the

detection sensitivity is much higher than for pure absorption photometry The reason is the ratio

of the absorption photometry where usually slightly different signals are measured (Boumlcker

1979)

The majority of chemical compounds have a fluorescence ability Almost all aromatic

hydrocarbons are characterized by fluorescence assets Nevertheless the introduction of

substituents derogates this Particularly nitro and carboxylic acid as well SH-groups and related

substituents almost completely delate the fluorescence (Schmidt 2000)

Fluorimetry has a high detection limit of 10-12 Mol whereas in the absorption analysis only up

to 10-8 Mol can be detected At high substrate concentrations attention should be paid to the fact

that the fluorescence intensity Q is no longer a linear function of the concentration c To stay in

the linear range a maximum concentration of should not be exceeded In the following

figure the structure of a fluorimeter device is presented

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device (Rouilly 2014)

16

Mercury or xenon lamps are often used as sources of excitation light Mercury vapor lamps emit

a line spectrum with high intensities in the lines (at 254 313 36566 405 546 577 630 nm )

via a low-intensity continuous background Xenon lamps have a continuous emission spectrum

but its intensity decreases in the UV range

Important properties of monochromators are their light intensity the spectral slit width and the

freedom of scattered light In modern appliances imaging holographic gratings are used All

optical elements such as lenses gratings mirrors and beam splitters influenced by their spectral

characteristics influence the intensity and polarization of the reflected and transmitted radiation

as a function of wavelength

Photomultiplier are used as which allow due to their high amplification (106 to 108) the

measuring of lower light intensities up to single photons Depending on the material of the

photocathode different types of photoreceptors can vary in terms of their absolute and spectral

sensitivities The gain of the photomultiplier depends on the applied voltage (Zander 1981)

25 Prototype

The instrument which was used for this project was designed to measure and analyze samples of

microalgae by using the method of a fluorimeter In line with the idea of inexpensive production

the construction is relatively basic A schematic diagram is presented in the graphic below

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

9

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance (httpteachingshuacuk 2014)

The Law states that the fraction of the light absorbed by each layer of solution is the same which

leads to a linear function instead of a logarithmic function by using the Absorbance In terms of

analysis it is easier to have linear function This is why the effect is mainly displayed as a

function of absorbance

Usually the scattering and luminescence effects in the spectroscopy analysis are neglected

Therefore in this work the term absorbance is used (when not specified otherwise) since

extinction is the sum of the effects of absorption scattering and luminescence (Mills Cvitaš

Homann Kallay amp Kuchitsu 1993)

The law applies only under certain conditions Firstly the dissolved substance must be

homogeneously distributed in the cuvette Furthermore it should be noted that the law does not

apply for open-end concentrations This means there is a limit to the concentration that is

measurable After a certain point the absorbance no longer increases in a linear fashion caused

by an over concentration of molecules in the solution In this case light rays can no longer pass

through the medium and correspondingly it is necessary to dilute the sample

10

232 Photometer

A Photometer is in a broad sense a device that is used in biology medicine physics and

chemistry for measuring the light absorption especially for the determination of concentrations

of known substances The main approach is to illuminate a sample and to measure the resulting

light intensity with a detector Different measurement methods are used The following figure

shows the principle of the basic process with one light beam using the example of absorption

measurement

The light source (L) emits a light beam through the medium to be measured in the measuring cell

(M) and the photodetector (Ph) measures the intensity of the remaining light In the amplifier

(V) the electric signal is amplified and output as a measured value

The light source can be a tungsten mercury cadmium H2 or a D2 lamp depending on the used

spectrum Tungsten lamps for example are used in the visible wavelength range and mercury and

cadmium light sources in the ultraviolet wavelength region (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer (wwwphotometercom 2014)

11

233 Spectrophotometer

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer

Double-beam optical system Instrument Type T80 Spectral Bandwidth 2 nm (fixed slit)

Working Mode MPU ModePC Mode

Software Support MPU Software PlatformSpec UV software workstation

Wavelength Range 190 - 1100nm Wavelength Accuracy plusmn 03nm (Automatic wavelength correction) Wavelength Reproducibility 02 nm Stray Light lt 012T (220nm Nal 340nm NaNo2)

Photometric Mode Transmittance Absorbance Energy

Photometric Range -03 - 3Abs

Photometric Accuracy

plusmn 0002 Abs (0 - 05A) plusmn 0004 Abs (05 - 1A) plusmn 03 T (0 - 100 T)

Photometric Reproducibility 0002 Abs (05 - 1A) 015 T (0 ndash 100 T )

Baseline Flatness plusmn 00015 Abs (190 - 1100nm) Baseline Stability 00008 Absh (500nm0Abs 2nm Spectral

Bandwidth 2hr warm-up_ Spectral Bandwidth 2nm (fixed slit) Photometric Noise plusmn 0001 Abs (500nm 0Abs 2nmSpectral

Bandwidth)

In the case of the spectrophotometer white light is decomposed by a prism or a diffraction

grating so that only light with a specific wavelength can pass through a shutter and into the

sample solution With lenses and apertures a narrowly defined light beam is produced consisting

of parallel rays By using filters or monochromators the spectrum of the light is reduced to a

limited wavelength range

While the light passes through the sample a part of the incident light is absorbed by the

molecules in the solution causing a weakening of the light intensity which can be recognized by

the photo detector and the attenuation of light is calculated by a computer (Lehmann 1892)

12

The light attenuation is a measurement of the absorption of light and is therefore a measurement

of the concentration of the absorbing molecules in the analyzed solution In this way the

concentration of the substance can be determined using the Lambert-Beer law or a calibration

curve (Boumlcker 1979)

The final aim of the measurement is the detection of the attenuation of the light intensity by the

substance in the measuring cell The measurement result depends on the brightness of the light

source (L) and the sensitivity of the photodetector (Ph) However the properties of these

components change under the influence of fluctuations in the supply voltage temperature and

aging The single-beam therefore is not stable in the long run and must be frequently

recalibrated (wwwphotometercom 2014)

This may be justifiable for individual measurements in the laboratory but in the context of

industrial settings continuous measurement influences of the light source fluctuations have to be

eliminated This leads to the dual-beam method

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Here a semi-transparent mirror splits the ray into two beams a measurement beam (M) which

passes through the sample and impinges on a first photodetector and a reference beam (V) which

falls directly on a second receiver

The measured value is created by forming a ratio so that the variations in the luminosity of the

light source have no effect However a remaining error source is the change in the sensitivity of

the two photodetectors Therefore the optimum solution is to use two beams and only one

photoreceptor During the project an UVVIS Spectrophomater (model T80 from PG Insturments

Ltd) was used which works exactly in the described manner

13

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Again the measured value is created by calculating the ratio of the sample and reference beams

Due to a rotating disc profile (Chopper) the two beams alternate on the same photo detector This

eliminates not only the variations in the light source but also changes of sensitivity of the

photoreceptor are eliminated (Spektrum 1999)

24 Fluorimeter

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter

FluoroMaxR-4 with USB von HORIBA Lamp Vertically mounted CW 150 W Ozone-free xenon

arc lamp Gratings 1200 groovemm blazed at 330 nm (excitation) and

500 nm (emission) plane ruled Detectors Emission R928P photon counting PMT (185-850

nm) and reference photodiode for monitoring lamp output

Water Raman SN 60001 (RMS method) See Signal-to-noise ratio Slits Continuously variable from 0 to 30 nm Accuracy 05 nm Repeatability 01 nm Minimum step 00525 nm Integration time 0001 to 160 sec Software FluorEssence Monochromators Automatic self-calibration of all wavelength drives

and slits All reflective optics Czerny-Turner spectrometers

Spectral Correction Factors Included

14

Fluorometry is a molecule-spectroscopic analysis that utilizes the property of electronically

excited molecules to emit the absorbed excitation energy as luminescence radiation Since the

electronic excitation of the molecules take place by absorption of light fluorimetry is a

photoluminecense method It finds versatile applications in both organic and inorganic analysis

The outstanding features of this method are their high selectivity and high sensitivity (Zander

1981)

The process is characterized particularly by some features At first it is a direct photometric

method for qualitative and quantitative analysis It is highly sensitive and has a wide range of

linearity Furthermore there are small amounts of material required for the analysis Online as

well as in-situ analysis are possible Lastly there is no or little sample preparations required

which leads to a non-destructive procedure That means the sample can be returned without

problems (Zander 1981)

Fluorimetry is generally based on the detection of emitted luminescent radiation from a sample

or a photochemical mediator molecule (fluorescent marker)

Luminescence radiation arises when electrons move from a higher to a lower orbital This is

called Stokes shift Stokes fluorescence is the re-emission of longer wavelength photons (lower

frequency or energy) by a molecule that has absorbed photons of shorter wavelengths (higher

frequency or energy) It is characteristic for every substance (Schmidt 2000)

A prevention of fluorescence by other types of dissipation of the excitation energy may occur

For instance an energy transfer to other molecules without radiation (eg photosynthesis) or

internal conversion

The intensity of the fluorescence of a solution depends on the intensity of the excitation light

(Iα) the molar absorption coefficient ε of the fluorescent substance the concentration c of the

sample and the quantum yield Q

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

Ia ndash intensity of attenuated light

15

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter

ε ndash molar absorption coefficient

Fluorimetry is used especially often in the field of quantitative analysis because in this case the

detection sensitivity is much higher than for pure absorption photometry The reason is the ratio

of the absorption photometry where usually slightly different signals are measured (Boumlcker

1979)

The majority of chemical compounds have a fluorescence ability Almost all aromatic

hydrocarbons are characterized by fluorescence assets Nevertheless the introduction of

substituents derogates this Particularly nitro and carboxylic acid as well SH-groups and related

substituents almost completely delate the fluorescence (Schmidt 2000)

Fluorimetry has a high detection limit of 10-12 Mol whereas in the absorption analysis only up

to 10-8 Mol can be detected At high substrate concentrations attention should be paid to the fact

that the fluorescence intensity Q is no longer a linear function of the concentration c To stay in

the linear range a maximum concentration of should not be exceeded In the following

figure the structure of a fluorimeter device is presented

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device (Rouilly 2014)

16

Mercury or xenon lamps are often used as sources of excitation light Mercury vapor lamps emit

a line spectrum with high intensities in the lines (at 254 313 36566 405 546 577 630 nm )

via a low-intensity continuous background Xenon lamps have a continuous emission spectrum

but its intensity decreases in the UV range

Important properties of monochromators are their light intensity the spectral slit width and the

freedom of scattered light In modern appliances imaging holographic gratings are used All

optical elements such as lenses gratings mirrors and beam splitters influenced by their spectral

characteristics influence the intensity and polarization of the reflected and transmitted radiation

as a function of wavelength

Photomultiplier are used as which allow due to their high amplification (106 to 108) the

measuring of lower light intensities up to single photons Depending on the material of the

photocathode different types of photoreceptors can vary in terms of their absolute and spectral

sensitivities The gain of the photomultiplier depends on the applied voltage (Zander 1981)

25 Prototype

The instrument which was used for this project was designed to measure and analyze samples of

microalgae by using the method of a fluorimeter In line with the idea of inexpensive production

the construction is relatively basic A schematic diagram is presented in the graphic below

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

10

232 Photometer

A Photometer is in a broad sense a device that is used in biology medicine physics and

chemistry for measuring the light absorption especially for the determination of concentrations

of known substances The main approach is to illuminate a sample and to measure the resulting

light intensity with a detector Different measurement methods are used The following figure

shows the principle of the basic process with one light beam using the example of absorption

measurement

The light source (L) emits a light beam through the medium to be measured in the measuring cell

(M) and the photodetector (Ph) measures the intensity of the remaining light In the amplifier

(V) the electric signal is amplified and output as a measured value

The light source can be a tungsten mercury cadmium H2 or a D2 lamp depending on the used

spectrum Tungsten lamps for example are used in the visible wavelength range and mercury and

cadmium light sources in the ultraviolet wavelength region (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer (wwwphotometercom 2014)

11

233 Spectrophotometer

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer

Double-beam optical system Instrument Type T80 Spectral Bandwidth 2 nm (fixed slit)

Working Mode MPU ModePC Mode

Software Support MPU Software PlatformSpec UV software workstation

Wavelength Range 190 - 1100nm Wavelength Accuracy plusmn 03nm (Automatic wavelength correction) Wavelength Reproducibility 02 nm Stray Light lt 012T (220nm Nal 340nm NaNo2)

Photometric Mode Transmittance Absorbance Energy

Photometric Range -03 - 3Abs

Photometric Accuracy

plusmn 0002 Abs (0 - 05A) plusmn 0004 Abs (05 - 1A) plusmn 03 T (0 - 100 T)

Photometric Reproducibility 0002 Abs (05 - 1A) 015 T (0 ndash 100 T )

Baseline Flatness plusmn 00015 Abs (190 - 1100nm) Baseline Stability 00008 Absh (500nm0Abs 2nm Spectral

Bandwidth 2hr warm-up_ Spectral Bandwidth 2nm (fixed slit) Photometric Noise plusmn 0001 Abs (500nm 0Abs 2nmSpectral

Bandwidth)

In the case of the spectrophotometer white light is decomposed by a prism or a diffraction

grating so that only light with a specific wavelength can pass through a shutter and into the

sample solution With lenses and apertures a narrowly defined light beam is produced consisting

of parallel rays By using filters or monochromators the spectrum of the light is reduced to a

limited wavelength range

While the light passes through the sample a part of the incident light is absorbed by the

molecules in the solution causing a weakening of the light intensity which can be recognized by

the photo detector and the attenuation of light is calculated by a computer (Lehmann 1892)

12

The light attenuation is a measurement of the absorption of light and is therefore a measurement

of the concentration of the absorbing molecules in the analyzed solution In this way the

concentration of the substance can be determined using the Lambert-Beer law or a calibration

curve (Boumlcker 1979)

The final aim of the measurement is the detection of the attenuation of the light intensity by the

substance in the measuring cell The measurement result depends on the brightness of the light

source (L) and the sensitivity of the photodetector (Ph) However the properties of these

components change under the influence of fluctuations in the supply voltage temperature and

aging The single-beam therefore is not stable in the long run and must be frequently

recalibrated (wwwphotometercom 2014)

This may be justifiable for individual measurements in the laboratory but in the context of

industrial settings continuous measurement influences of the light source fluctuations have to be

eliminated This leads to the dual-beam method

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Here a semi-transparent mirror splits the ray into two beams a measurement beam (M) which

passes through the sample and impinges on a first photodetector and a reference beam (V) which

falls directly on a second receiver

The measured value is created by forming a ratio so that the variations in the luminosity of the

light source have no effect However a remaining error source is the change in the sensitivity of

the two photodetectors Therefore the optimum solution is to use two beams and only one

photoreceptor During the project an UVVIS Spectrophomater (model T80 from PG Insturments

Ltd) was used which works exactly in the described manner

13

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Again the measured value is created by calculating the ratio of the sample and reference beams

Due to a rotating disc profile (Chopper) the two beams alternate on the same photo detector This

eliminates not only the variations in the light source but also changes of sensitivity of the

photoreceptor are eliminated (Spektrum 1999)

24 Fluorimeter

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter

FluoroMaxR-4 with USB von HORIBA Lamp Vertically mounted CW 150 W Ozone-free xenon

arc lamp Gratings 1200 groovemm blazed at 330 nm (excitation) and

500 nm (emission) plane ruled Detectors Emission R928P photon counting PMT (185-850

nm) and reference photodiode for monitoring lamp output

Water Raman SN 60001 (RMS method) See Signal-to-noise ratio Slits Continuously variable from 0 to 30 nm Accuracy 05 nm Repeatability 01 nm Minimum step 00525 nm Integration time 0001 to 160 sec Software FluorEssence Monochromators Automatic self-calibration of all wavelength drives

and slits All reflective optics Czerny-Turner spectrometers

Spectral Correction Factors Included

14

Fluorometry is a molecule-spectroscopic analysis that utilizes the property of electronically

excited molecules to emit the absorbed excitation energy as luminescence radiation Since the

electronic excitation of the molecules take place by absorption of light fluorimetry is a

photoluminecense method It finds versatile applications in both organic and inorganic analysis

The outstanding features of this method are their high selectivity and high sensitivity (Zander

1981)

The process is characterized particularly by some features At first it is a direct photometric

method for qualitative and quantitative analysis It is highly sensitive and has a wide range of

linearity Furthermore there are small amounts of material required for the analysis Online as

well as in-situ analysis are possible Lastly there is no or little sample preparations required

which leads to a non-destructive procedure That means the sample can be returned without

problems (Zander 1981)

Fluorimetry is generally based on the detection of emitted luminescent radiation from a sample

or a photochemical mediator molecule (fluorescent marker)

Luminescence radiation arises when electrons move from a higher to a lower orbital This is

called Stokes shift Stokes fluorescence is the re-emission of longer wavelength photons (lower

frequency or energy) by a molecule that has absorbed photons of shorter wavelengths (higher

frequency or energy) It is characteristic for every substance (Schmidt 2000)

A prevention of fluorescence by other types of dissipation of the excitation energy may occur

For instance an energy transfer to other molecules without radiation (eg photosynthesis) or

internal conversion

The intensity of the fluorescence of a solution depends on the intensity of the excitation light

(Iα) the molar absorption coefficient ε of the fluorescent substance the concentration c of the

sample and the quantum yield Q

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

Ia ndash intensity of attenuated light

15

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter

ε ndash molar absorption coefficient

Fluorimetry is used especially often in the field of quantitative analysis because in this case the

detection sensitivity is much higher than for pure absorption photometry The reason is the ratio

of the absorption photometry where usually slightly different signals are measured (Boumlcker

1979)

The majority of chemical compounds have a fluorescence ability Almost all aromatic

hydrocarbons are characterized by fluorescence assets Nevertheless the introduction of

substituents derogates this Particularly nitro and carboxylic acid as well SH-groups and related

substituents almost completely delate the fluorescence (Schmidt 2000)

Fluorimetry has a high detection limit of 10-12 Mol whereas in the absorption analysis only up

to 10-8 Mol can be detected At high substrate concentrations attention should be paid to the fact

that the fluorescence intensity Q is no longer a linear function of the concentration c To stay in

the linear range a maximum concentration of should not be exceeded In the following

figure the structure of a fluorimeter device is presented

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device (Rouilly 2014)

16

Mercury or xenon lamps are often used as sources of excitation light Mercury vapor lamps emit

a line spectrum with high intensities in the lines (at 254 313 36566 405 546 577 630 nm )

via a low-intensity continuous background Xenon lamps have a continuous emission spectrum

but its intensity decreases in the UV range

Important properties of monochromators are their light intensity the spectral slit width and the

freedom of scattered light In modern appliances imaging holographic gratings are used All

optical elements such as lenses gratings mirrors and beam splitters influenced by their spectral

characteristics influence the intensity and polarization of the reflected and transmitted radiation

as a function of wavelength

Photomultiplier are used as which allow due to their high amplification (106 to 108) the

measuring of lower light intensities up to single photons Depending on the material of the

photocathode different types of photoreceptors can vary in terms of their absolute and spectral

sensitivities The gain of the photomultiplier depends on the applied voltage (Zander 1981)

25 Prototype

The instrument which was used for this project was designed to measure and analyze samples of

microalgae by using the method of a fluorimeter In line with the idea of inexpensive production

the construction is relatively basic A schematic diagram is presented in the graphic below

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

11

233 Spectrophotometer

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer

Double-beam optical system Instrument Type T80 Spectral Bandwidth 2 nm (fixed slit)

Working Mode MPU ModePC Mode

Software Support MPU Software PlatformSpec UV software workstation

Wavelength Range 190 - 1100nm Wavelength Accuracy plusmn 03nm (Automatic wavelength correction) Wavelength Reproducibility 02 nm Stray Light lt 012T (220nm Nal 340nm NaNo2)

Photometric Mode Transmittance Absorbance Energy

Photometric Range -03 - 3Abs

Photometric Accuracy

plusmn 0002 Abs (0 - 05A) plusmn 0004 Abs (05 - 1A) plusmn 03 T (0 - 100 T)

Photometric Reproducibility 0002 Abs (05 - 1A) 015 T (0 ndash 100 T )

Baseline Flatness plusmn 00015 Abs (190 - 1100nm) Baseline Stability 00008 Absh (500nm0Abs 2nm Spectral

Bandwidth 2hr warm-up_ Spectral Bandwidth 2nm (fixed slit) Photometric Noise plusmn 0001 Abs (500nm 0Abs 2nmSpectral

Bandwidth)

In the case of the spectrophotometer white light is decomposed by a prism or a diffraction

grating so that only light with a specific wavelength can pass through a shutter and into the

sample solution With lenses and apertures a narrowly defined light beam is produced consisting

of parallel rays By using filters or monochromators the spectrum of the light is reduced to a

limited wavelength range

While the light passes through the sample a part of the incident light is absorbed by the

molecules in the solution causing a weakening of the light intensity which can be recognized by

the photo detector and the attenuation of light is calculated by a computer (Lehmann 1892)

12

The light attenuation is a measurement of the absorption of light and is therefore a measurement

of the concentration of the absorbing molecules in the analyzed solution In this way the

concentration of the substance can be determined using the Lambert-Beer law or a calibration

curve (Boumlcker 1979)

The final aim of the measurement is the detection of the attenuation of the light intensity by the

substance in the measuring cell The measurement result depends on the brightness of the light

source (L) and the sensitivity of the photodetector (Ph) However the properties of these

components change under the influence of fluctuations in the supply voltage temperature and

aging The single-beam therefore is not stable in the long run and must be frequently

recalibrated (wwwphotometercom 2014)

This may be justifiable for individual measurements in the laboratory but in the context of

industrial settings continuous measurement influences of the light source fluctuations have to be

eliminated This leads to the dual-beam method

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Here a semi-transparent mirror splits the ray into two beams a measurement beam (M) which

passes through the sample and impinges on a first photodetector and a reference beam (V) which

falls directly on a second receiver

The measured value is created by forming a ratio so that the variations in the luminosity of the

light source have no effect However a remaining error source is the change in the sensitivity of

the two photodetectors Therefore the optimum solution is to use two beams and only one

photoreceptor During the project an UVVIS Spectrophomater (model T80 from PG Insturments

Ltd) was used which works exactly in the described manner

13

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Again the measured value is created by calculating the ratio of the sample and reference beams

Due to a rotating disc profile (Chopper) the two beams alternate on the same photo detector This

eliminates not only the variations in the light source but also changes of sensitivity of the

photoreceptor are eliminated (Spektrum 1999)

24 Fluorimeter

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter

FluoroMaxR-4 with USB von HORIBA Lamp Vertically mounted CW 150 W Ozone-free xenon

arc lamp Gratings 1200 groovemm blazed at 330 nm (excitation) and

500 nm (emission) plane ruled Detectors Emission R928P photon counting PMT (185-850

nm) and reference photodiode for monitoring lamp output

Water Raman SN 60001 (RMS method) See Signal-to-noise ratio Slits Continuously variable from 0 to 30 nm Accuracy 05 nm Repeatability 01 nm Minimum step 00525 nm Integration time 0001 to 160 sec Software FluorEssence Monochromators Automatic self-calibration of all wavelength drives

and slits All reflective optics Czerny-Turner spectrometers

Spectral Correction Factors Included

14

Fluorometry is a molecule-spectroscopic analysis that utilizes the property of electronically

excited molecules to emit the absorbed excitation energy as luminescence radiation Since the

electronic excitation of the molecules take place by absorption of light fluorimetry is a

photoluminecense method It finds versatile applications in both organic and inorganic analysis

The outstanding features of this method are their high selectivity and high sensitivity (Zander

1981)

The process is characterized particularly by some features At first it is a direct photometric

method for qualitative and quantitative analysis It is highly sensitive and has a wide range of

linearity Furthermore there are small amounts of material required for the analysis Online as

well as in-situ analysis are possible Lastly there is no or little sample preparations required

which leads to a non-destructive procedure That means the sample can be returned without

problems (Zander 1981)

Fluorimetry is generally based on the detection of emitted luminescent radiation from a sample

or a photochemical mediator molecule (fluorescent marker)

Luminescence radiation arises when electrons move from a higher to a lower orbital This is

called Stokes shift Stokes fluorescence is the re-emission of longer wavelength photons (lower

frequency or energy) by a molecule that has absorbed photons of shorter wavelengths (higher

frequency or energy) It is characteristic for every substance (Schmidt 2000)

A prevention of fluorescence by other types of dissipation of the excitation energy may occur

For instance an energy transfer to other molecules without radiation (eg photosynthesis) or

internal conversion

The intensity of the fluorescence of a solution depends on the intensity of the excitation light

(Iα) the molar absorption coefficient ε of the fluorescent substance the concentration c of the

sample and the quantum yield Q

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

Ia ndash intensity of attenuated light

15

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter

ε ndash molar absorption coefficient

Fluorimetry is used especially often in the field of quantitative analysis because in this case the

detection sensitivity is much higher than for pure absorption photometry The reason is the ratio

of the absorption photometry where usually slightly different signals are measured (Boumlcker

1979)

The majority of chemical compounds have a fluorescence ability Almost all aromatic

hydrocarbons are characterized by fluorescence assets Nevertheless the introduction of

substituents derogates this Particularly nitro and carboxylic acid as well SH-groups and related

substituents almost completely delate the fluorescence (Schmidt 2000)

Fluorimetry has a high detection limit of 10-12 Mol whereas in the absorption analysis only up

to 10-8 Mol can be detected At high substrate concentrations attention should be paid to the fact

that the fluorescence intensity Q is no longer a linear function of the concentration c To stay in

the linear range a maximum concentration of should not be exceeded In the following

figure the structure of a fluorimeter device is presented

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device (Rouilly 2014)

16

Mercury or xenon lamps are often used as sources of excitation light Mercury vapor lamps emit

a line spectrum with high intensities in the lines (at 254 313 36566 405 546 577 630 nm )

via a low-intensity continuous background Xenon lamps have a continuous emission spectrum

but its intensity decreases in the UV range

Important properties of monochromators are their light intensity the spectral slit width and the

freedom of scattered light In modern appliances imaging holographic gratings are used All

optical elements such as lenses gratings mirrors and beam splitters influenced by their spectral

characteristics influence the intensity and polarization of the reflected and transmitted radiation

as a function of wavelength

Photomultiplier are used as which allow due to their high amplification (106 to 108) the

measuring of lower light intensities up to single photons Depending on the material of the

photocathode different types of photoreceptors can vary in terms of their absolute and spectral

sensitivities The gain of the photomultiplier depends on the applied voltage (Zander 1981)

25 Prototype

The instrument which was used for this project was designed to measure and analyze samples of

microalgae by using the method of a fluorimeter In line with the idea of inexpensive production

the construction is relatively basic A schematic diagram is presented in the graphic below

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

12

The light attenuation is a measurement of the absorption of light and is therefore a measurement

of the concentration of the absorbing molecules in the analyzed solution In this way the

concentration of the substance can be determined using the Lambert-Beer law or a calibration

curve (Boumlcker 1979)

The final aim of the measurement is the detection of the attenuation of the light intensity by the

substance in the measuring cell The measurement result depends on the brightness of the light

source (L) and the sensitivity of the photodetector (Ph) However the properties of these

components change under the influence of fluctuations in the supply voltage temperature and

aging The single-beam therefore is not stable in the long run and must be frequently

recalibrated (wwwphotometercom 2014)

This may be justifiable for individual measurements in the laboratory but in the context of

industrial settings continuous measurement influences of the light source fluctuations have to be

eliminated This leads to the dual-beam method

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Here a semi-transparent mirror splits the ray into two beams a measurement beam (M) which

passes through the sample and impinges on a first photodetector and a reference beam (V) which

falls directly on a second receiver

The measured value is created by forming a ratio so that the variations in the luminosity of the

light source have no effect However a remaining error source is the change in the sensitivity of

the two photodetectors Therefore the optimum solution is to use two beams and only one

photoreceptor During the project an UVVIS Spectrophomater (model T80 from PG Insturments

Ltd) was used which works exactly in the described manner

13

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Again the measured value is created by calculating the ratio of the sample and reference beams

Due to a rotating disc profile (Chopper) the two beams alternate on the same photo detector This

eliminates not only the variations in the light source but also changes of sensitivity of the

photoreceptor are eliminated (Spektrum 1999)

24 Fluorimeter

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter

FluoroMaxR-4 with USB von HORIBA Lamp Vertically mounted CW 150 W Ozone-free xenon

arc lamp Gratings 1200 groovemm blazed at 330 nm (excitation) and

500 nm (emission) plane ruled Detectors Emission R928P photon counting PMT (185-850

nm) and reference photodiode for monitoring lamp output

Water Raman SN 60001 (RMS method) See Signal-to-noise ratio Slits Continuously variable from 0 to 30 nm Accuracy 05 nm Repeatability 01 nm Minimum step 00525 nm Integration time 0001 to 160 sec Software FluorEssence Monochromators Automatic self-calibration of all wavelength drives

and slits All reflective optics Czerny-Turner spectrometers

Spectral Correction Factors Included

14

Fluorometry is a molecule-spectroscopic analysis that utilizes the property of electronically

excited molecules to emit the absorbed excitation energy as luminescence radiation Since the

electronic excitation of the molecules take place by absorption of light fluorimetry is a

photoluminecense method It finds versatile applications in both organic and inorganic analysis

The outstanding features of this method are their high selectivity and high sensitivity (Zander

1981)

The process is characterized particularly by some features At first it is a direct photometric

method for qualitative and quantitative analysis It is highly sensitive and has a wide range of

linearity Furthermore there are small amounts of material required for the analysis Online as

well as in-situ analysis are possible Lastly there is no or little sample preparations required

which leads to a non-destructive procedure That means the sample can be returned without

problems (Zander 1981)

Fluorimetry is generally based on the detection of emitted luminescent radiation from a sample

or a photochemical mediator molecule (fluorescent marker)

Luminescence radiation arises when electrons move from a higher to a lower orbital This is

called Stokes shift Stokes fluorescence is the re-emission of longer wavelength photons (lower

frequency or energy) by a molecule that has absorbed photons of shorter wavelengths (higher

frequency or energy) It is characteristic for every substance (Schmidt 2000)

A prevention of fluorescence by other types of dissipation of the excitation energy may occur

For instance an energy transfer to other molecules without radiation (eg photosynthesis) or

internal conversion

The intensity of the fluorescence of a solution depends on the intensity of the excitation light

(Iα) the molar absorption coefficient ε of the fluorescent substance the concentration c of the

sample and the quantum yield Q

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

Ia ndash intensity of attenuated light

15

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter

ε ndash molar absorption coefficient

Fluorimetry is used especially often in the field of quantitative analysis because in this case the

detection sensitivity is much higher than for pure absorption photometry The reason is the ratio

of the absorption photometry where usually slightly different signals are measured (Boumlcker

1979)

The majority of chemical compounds have a fluorescence ability Almost all aromatic

hydrocarbons are characterized by fluorescence assets Nevertheless the introduction of

substituents derogates this Particularly nitro and carboxylic acid as well SH-groups and related

substituents almost completely delate the fluorescence (Schmidt 2000)

Fluorimetry has a high detection limit of 10-12 Mol whereas in the absorption analysis only up

to 10-8 Mol can be detected At high substrate concentrations attention should be paid to the fact

that the fluorescence intensity Q is no longer a linear function of the concentration c To stay in

the linear range a maximum concentration of should not be exceeded In the following

figure the structure of a fluorimeter device is presented

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device (Rouilly 2014)

16

Mercury or xenon lamps are often used as sources of excitation light Mercury vapor lamps emit

a line spectrum with high intensities in the lines (at 254 313 36566 405 546 577 630 nm )

via a low-intensity continuous background Xenon lamps have a continuous emission spectrum

but its intensity decreases in the UV range

Important properties of monochromators are their light intensity the spectral slit width and the

freedom of scattered light In modern appliances imaging holographic gratings are used All

optical elements such as lenses gratings mirrors and beam splitters influenced by their spectral

characteristics influence the intensity and polarization of the reflected and transmitted radiation

as a function of wavelength

Photomultiplier are used as which allow due to their high amplification (106 to 108) the

measuring of lower light intensities up to single photons Depending on the material of the

photocathode different types of photoreceptors can vary in terms of their absolute and spectral

sensitivities The gain of the photomultiplier depends on the applied voltage (Zander 1981)

25 Prototype

The instrument which was used for this project was designed to measure and analyze samples of

microalgae by using the method of a fluorimeter In line with the idea of inexpensive production

the construction is relatively basic A schematic diagram is presented in the graphic below

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

13

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector (wwwphotometercom 2014)

Again the measured value is created by calculating the ratio of the sample and reference beams

Due to a rotating disc profile (Chopper) the two beams alternate on the same photo detector This

eliminates not only the variations in the light source but also changes of sensitivity of the

photoreceptor are eliminated (Spektrum 1999)

24 Fluorimeter

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter

FluoroMaxR-4 with USB von HORIBA Lamp Vertically mounted CW 150 W Ozone-free xenon

arc lamp Gratings 1200 groovemm blazed at 330 nm (excitation) and

500 nm (emission) plane ruled Detectors Emission R928P photon counting PMT (185-850

nm) and reference photodiode for monitoring lamp output

Water Raman SN 60001 (RMS method) See Signal-to-noise ratio Slits Continuously variable from 0 to 30 nm Accuracy 05 nm Repeatability 01 nm Minimum step 00525 nm Integration time 0001 to 160 sec Software FluorEssence Monochromators Automatic self-calibration of all wavelength drives

and slits All reflective optics Czerny-Turner spectrometers

Spectral Correction Factors Included

14

Fluorometry is a molecule-spectroscopic analysis that utilizes the property of electronically

excited molecules to emit the absorbed excitation energy as luminescence radiation Since the

electronic excitation of the molecules take place by absorption of light fluorimetry is a

photoluminecense method It finds versatile applications in both organic and inorganic analysis

The outstanding features of this method are their high selectivity and high sensitivity (Zander

1981)

The process is characterized particularly by some features At first it is a direct photometric

method for qualitative and quantitative analysis It is highly sensitive and has a wide range of

linearity Furthermore there are small amounts of material required for the analysis Online as

well as in-situ analysis are possible Lastly there is no or little sample preparations required

which leads to a non-destructive procedure That means the sample can be returned without

problems (Zander 1981)

Fluorimetry is generally based on the detection of emitted luminescent radiation from a sample

or a photochemical mediator molecule (fluorescent marker)

Luminescence radiation arises when electrons move from a higher to a lower orbital This is

called Stokes shift Stokes fluorescence is the re-emission of longer wavelength photons (lower

frequency or energy) by a molecule that has absorbed photons of shorter wavelengths (higher

frequency or energy) It is characteristic for every substance (Schmidt 2000)

A prevention of fluorescence by other types of dissipation of the excitation energy may occur

For instance an energy transfer to other molecules without radiation (eg photosynthesis) or

internal conversion

The intensity of the fluorescence of a solution depends on the intensity of the excitation light

(Iα) the molar absorption coefficient ε of the fluorescent substance the concentration c of the

sample and the quantum yield Q

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

Ia ndash intensity of attenuated light

15

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter

ε ndash molar absorption coefficient

Fluorimetry is used especially often in the field of quantitative analysis because in this case the

detection sensitivity is much higher than for pure absorption photometry The reason is the ratio

of the absorption photometry where usually slightly different signals are measured (Boumlcker

1979)

The majority of chemical compounds have a fluorescence ability Almost all aromatic

hydrocarbons are characterized by fluorescence assets Nevertheless the introduction of

substituents derogates this Particularly nitro and carboxylic acid as well SH-groups and related

substituents almost completely delate the fluorescence (Schmidt 2000)

Fluorimetry has a high detection limit of 10-12 Mol whereas in the absorption analysis only up

to 10-8 Mol can be detected At high substrate concentrations attention should be paid to the fact

that the fluorescence intensity Q is no longer a linear function of the concentration c To stay in

the linear range a maximum concentration of should not be exceeded In the following

figure the structure of a fluorimeter device is presented

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device (Rouilly 2014)

16

Mercury or xenon lamps are often used as sources of excitation light Mercury vapor lamps emit

a line spectrum with high intensities in the lines (at 254 313 36566 405 546 577 630 nm )

via a low-intensity continuous background Xenon lamps have a continuous emission spectrum

but its intensity decreases in the UV range

Important properties of monochromators are their light intensity the spectral slit width and the

freedom of scattered light In modern appliances imaging holographic gratings are used All

optical elements such as lenses gratings mirrors and beam splitters influenced by their spectral

characteristics influence the intensity and polarization of the reflected and transmitted radiation

as a function of wavelength

Photomultiplier are used as which allow due to their high amplification (106 to 108) the

measuring of lower light intensities up to single photons Depending on the material of the

photocathode different types of photoreceptors can vary in terms of their absolute and spectral

sensitivities The gain of the photomultiplier depends on the applied voltage (Zander 1981)

25 Prototype

The instrument which was used for this project was designed to measure and analyze samples of

microalgae by using the method of a fluorimeter In line with the idea of inexpensive production

the construction is relatively basic A schematic diagram is presented in the graphic below

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

14

Fluorometry is a molecule-spectroscopic analysis that utilizes the property of electronically

excited molecules to emit the absorbed excitation energy as luminescence radiation Since the

electronic excitation of the molecules take place by absorption of light fluorimetry is a

photoluminecense method It finds versatile applications in both organic and inorganic analysis

The outstanding features of this method are their high selectivity and high sensitivity (Zander

1981)

The process is characterized particularly by some features At first it is a direct photometric

method for qualitative and quantitative analysis It is highly sensitive and has a wide range of

linearity Furthermore there are small amounts of material required for the analysis Online as

well as in-situ analysis are possible Lastly there is no or little sample preparations required

which leads to a non-destructive procedure That means the sample can be returned without

problems (Zander 1981)

Fluorimetry is generally based on the detection of emitted luminescent radiation from a sample

or a photochemical mediator molecule (fluorescent marker)

Luminescence radiation arises when electrons move from a higher to a lower orbital This is

called Stokes shift Stokes fluorescence is the re-emission of longer wavelength photons (lower

frequency or energy) by a molecule that has absorbed photons of shorter wavelengths (higher

frequency or energy) It is characteristic for every substance (Schmidt 2000)

A prevention of fluorescence by other types of dissipation of the excitation energy may occur

For instance an energy transfer to other molecules without radiation (eg photosynthesis) or

internal conversion

The intensity of the fluorescence of a solution depends on the intensity of the excitation light

(Iα) the molar absorption coefficient ε of the fluorescent substance the concentration c of the

sample and the quantum yield Q

I0 ndash intensity of emitted light

Ia ndash intensity of attenuated light

15

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter

ε ndash molar absorption coefficient

Fluorimetry is used especially often in the field of quantitative analysis because in this case the

detection sensitivity is much higher than for pure absorption photometry The reason is the ratio

of the absorption photometry where usually slightly different signals are measured (Boumlcker

1979)

The majority of chemical compounds have a fluorescence ability Almost all aromatic

hydrocarbons are characterized by fluorescence assets Nevertheless the introduction of

substituents derogates this Particularly nitro and carboxylic acid as well SH-groups and related

substituents almost completely delate the fluorescence (Schmidt 2000)

Fluorimetry has a high detection limit of 10-12 Mol whereas in the absorption analysis only up

to 10-8 Mol can be detected At high substrate concentrations attention should be paid to the fact

that the fluorescence intensity Q is no longer a linear function of the concentration c To stay in

the linear range a maximum concentration of should not be exceeded In the following

figure the structure of a fluorimeter device is presented

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device (Rouilly 2014)

16

Mercury or xenon lamps are often used as sources of excitation light Mercury vapor lamps emit

a line spectrum with high intensities in the lines (at 254 313 36566 405 546 577 630 nm )

via a low-intensity continuous background Xenon lamps have a continuous emission spectrum

but its intensity decreases in the UV range

Important properties of monochromators are their light intensity the spectral slit width and the

freedom of scattered light In modern appliances imaging holographic gratings are used All

optical elements such as lenses gratings mirrors and beam splitters influenced by their spectral

characteristics influence the intensity and polarization of the reflected and transmitted radiation

as a function of wavelength

Photomultiplier are used as which allow due to their high amplification (106 to 108) the

measuring of lower light intensities up to single photons Depending on the material of the

photocathode different types of photoreceptors can vary in terms of their absolute and spectral

sensitivities The gain of the photomultiplier depends on the applied voltage (Zander 1981)

25 Prototype

The instrument which was used for this project was designed to measure and analyze samples of

microalgae by using the method of a fluorimeter In line with the idea of inexpensive production

the construction is relatively basic A schematic diagram is presented in the graphic below

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

15

c ndash Concentration of sample

d ndash Distance of the light or sample diameter

ε ndash molar absorption coefficient

Fluorimetry is used especially often in the field of quantitative analysis because in this case the

detection sensitivity is much higher than for pure absorption photometry The reason is the ratio

of the absorption photometry where usually slightly different signals are measured (Boumlcker

1979)

The majority of chemical compounds have a fluorescence ability Almost all aromatic

hydrocarbons are characterized by fluorescence assets Nevertheless the introduction of

substituents derogates this Particularly nitro and carboxylic acid as well SH-groups and related

substituents almost completely delate the fluorescence (Schmidt 2000)

Fluorimetry has a high detection limit of 10-12 Mol whereas in the absorption analysis only up

to 10-8 Mol can be detected At high substrate concentrations attention should be paid to the fact

that the fluorescence intensity Q is no longer a linear function of the concentration c To stay in

the linear range a maximum concentration of should not be exceeded In the following

figure the structure of a fluorimeter device is presented

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device (Rouilly 2014)

16

Mercury or xenon lamps are often used as sources of excitation light Mercury vapor lamps emit

a line spectrum with high intensities in the lines (at 254 313 36566 405 546 577 630 nm )

via a low-intensity continuous background Xenon lamps have a continuous emission spectrum

but its intensity decreases in the UV range

Important properties of monochromators are their light intensity the spectral slit width and the

freedom of scattered light In modern appliances imaging holographic gratings are used All

optical elements such as lenses gratings mirrors and beam splitters influenced by their spectral

characteristics influence the intensity and polarization of the reflected and transmitted radiation

as a function of wavelength

Photomultiplier are used as which allow due to their high amplification (106 to 108) the

measuring of lower light intensities up to single photons Depending on the material of the

photocathode different types of photoreceptors can vary in terms of their absolute and spectral

sensitivities The gain of the photomultiplier depends on the applied voltage (Zander 1981)

25 Prototype

The instrument which was used for this project was designed to measure and analyze samples of

microalgae by using the method of a fluorimeter In line with the idea of inexpensive production

the construction is relatively basic A schematic diagram is presented in the graphic below

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

16

Mercury or xenon lamps are often used as sources of excitation light Mercury vapor lamps emit

a line spectrum with high intensities in the lines (at 254 313 36566 405 546 577 630 nm )

via a low-intensity continuous background Xenon lamps have a continuous emission spectrum

but its intensity decreases in the UV range

Important properties of monochromators are their light intensity the spectral slit width and the

freedom of scattered light In modern appliances imaging holographic gratings are used All

optical elements such as lenses gratings mirrors and beam splitters influenced by their spectral

characteristics influence the intensity and polarization of the reflected and transmitted radiation

as a function of wavelength

Photomultiplier are used as which allow due to their high amplification (106 to 108) the

measuring of lower light intensities up to single photons Depending on the material of the

photocathode different types of photoreceptors can vary in terms of their absolute and spectral

sensitivities The gain of the photomultiplier depends on the applied voltage (Zander 1981)

25 Prototype

The instrument which was used for this project was designed to measure and analyze samples of

microalgae by using the method of a fluorimeter In line with the idea of inexpensive production

the construction is relatively basic A schematic diagram is presented in the graphic below

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

17

As is shown above the installation is similar to the fluorimeter (qv figure 6) The main

components are an LED light source which sends a light beam into an opaque chamber where

the sample is placed and two optical receptors which are positioned at angles of 180deg and 90deg

In contrast to the fluorimeter only one filter is used here (in the fluorimeter three mochrometers

were used) The filter works in the same manner as the monochrometer and blocks all unwanted

wavelengths so that just one specific or particular spectrum can pass through

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length

The filter absorbs undesired wavelengths between 300 and 400 nm but has a transmission of 88

in case of the important spectrum (lt 400 nm) which is not optimal but a calculable factor

since itrsquos the same loss in any sample and series of tests

Even though lasers have excellent characteristics in case of accuracy and wavelength they are

relatively expensive In opposition to LEDs In opposition to LEDs Caused by that an LED light

source is installed together with the two optical sensors The high potency LED lamp emits a

blue light beam which fits well with the potential spectrum of absorbance of the chlorophyll and

should provide optimal requirements for the microalgae

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

18

26 Measurement of Biomass

The analyses of the biomass provides information about growth rate and as a consequence

thereof biological activity Therefore a vacuum pressure pump was used together with paper

filters with a diameter of 205 μm and a pore size of 14 μm

A sample of 50 ml was taken from the batches and filtered through the paper (weighted before)

while the vacuum pump supported the passaging of the liquid Afterwards the nearly-dry paper

was stored in an oven at 60 degC for approximately 24 hours The mass difference gives some

indication of the amount of biomass in the 50 ml solution

27 Measurement of Chlorophyll

An issue in chlorophyll measurement is extracting the pigments from the cells Therefore a

sample of 10 ml is filtered (same procedure as for biomass) The extract is stored afterwards in a

90 acetone solution at 4 degC for approximately 24 hours Acetone is a moderate polar solvent

which is after methanol the best solution for chlorophyll pigments because it consists of polar

areas as well as a lipophilic phytel rest (see figure 9) (Lourenccedilo 2006)

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll (Willows 2013)

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

19

Due to the reference (Lourenccedilo 2006) the solution should be centrifuged for around 10 minutes

and 3000 rpm This strategy is used because usually the filter is cut in pieces before stored in the

tube to guarantee a better detachment of the chlorophyll The pre-tests have shown that the

results are more accurate when the filter isnrsquot cut but rolled up and put into the tube (filtrate

towards the tubes inside) If than filled carefully up with acetone (washing out of the extract

must be avoided during infusion) the extraction of chlorophyll will be optimal without the

problem of filter rests and other cell bodies

In a further step the chlorophyllacetone solution is measured in a spectrophotometer by 630 nm

647 nm and 663 - 665 nm The amount of chlorophyll is calculated by the following statistic

equations from Lourenccedilo (2006)

D663-665 D647 D630 ndash absorbance at the wavelength Dx after correction by the cell-to-cell blank and subtraction of the cell-to-cell blank corrected absorbance at 750nm

l - Cell (cuvette) length [cm] = 1

v - Volume of acetone [ml] = 10

V - Volume of filtered water [l] = 10

Accordingly the term That simplifies the equations

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

20

3 Results and discussion

During the project the algae suspension was scanned over a time interval of 10 days plus one

day incubation During this time the batches were subjected to various light conditions (Batch A

= 4000 Lux Batch B = 5500 Lux Batch C = 7000 Lux Batch D = 8500 Lux Batch E = 10000

Lux) This was performed to analyze the effect of different light intensity on algae and

accumulation of chlorophyll To obtain useful results it is essential to eliminate as much

unwished problems as possible According to this the growing of the algae was analyzed at first

because any discrepancies of the algae growth would lead to consequential errors in case of

chlorophyll tests

31 Algae growth The growth of Scanedesmus Sp was measured via spectrophotometer and biomass dry weight

Optical density of biomass was determined at 750 nm One ml of the sample batch was taken and

measured in a spectrum between 400 nm and 750 nm

Usually the growth of an algae culture follows certain steps It starts with the lag phase (1)

followed by an exponential phase (2) The culture growth will reach a point of overpopulation in

which one or more essential resources are limited Growth and death rate are either in

equilibrium or the cells already stopped the proliferation This is called the stationary phase (4)

At the end the living conditions are so bad that the cell population starts to decrease rapidly

(usually caused by a deficiency of important nutrients) The last phase is called death phase (5)

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

21

The before explained growth dynamic differs to the culture development during the test Figure 7

(below) presents all graphs (of absorbance [400hellip750 nm]) of the five batches in a time interval

of ten days So in total 50 single graphs summarized in that 3D - graphic It gives an interesting

overview of the total experiment

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days

In the figure a formation can be seen that looks like one side of a steep ridge that starts relatively

flat in the beginning and becomes steeper in the posterior tier Rifts in the formation are caused

by some problems associated with the spectrophotometer at certain wavelengths Following the

observation that the results are the same regardless of the kind of sample analyzed the

assumption that the spectrophotometer doesnrsquot work at these wave length may be accepted

Furthermore a pattern of wave formations is recognizable Every wave formation has a

maximum at around 400 nm and 480 nm and between 650 nm and 670 nm The first ldquowaverdquo is

the result of the batch analyses from the first day the second from the second day and so on

The wavelike formation is caused by the differential growth of the algae under different light

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

22

conditions The most exposed batch (E) already has a higher algae concentration on dayx as

compared to the lowest exposed batch (A) one day after

Figure 12 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 72

The first figure curvebatch E has the highest absorbance starting between 06 and 065 at 400

nm and ending up at the second maximum at around 059 In comparison batchcurve A from

one day after also starts between 06 and 065 but falls under the values of Batch E at the second

maximum which occurs at around 056 This is responsible for the wave effect between the

days Only at the last day does Batch A exceed the high peaks of Batch E from the previous day

This is caused by the beginning of the exponential phase Unfortunately the cultures did not pass

through all four phases as expected The exponential phase started between day 7 and 9

depending on the Batch

2 The days are chosen randomly to proof the above delineated statement The same course of curves could be confirmed for every day Just the intensity of absorbance varies

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

23

We can see the effect of light between the different figures The culture of Batch E already began

exponential growth at day 7 while the lag phase in Batch A persisted until the 8th9th day

Figure 13 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days in comparison to the Absorbance

The following statements can be made to summarize the observed algae growth Since the

different colonies in the Batches react to the light intensity as expected the assertion can be

made that the Biomass (mB) of

When comparing the results of the optical density with the gravimetric measurements some

issues have to be mentioned The dry weight measurement was only performed after day four

because the amount of biomass measured before day five was considered too small to be reliably

assessed Even after the fifth day some unexpected changes in the curve shape were visible

Nonetheless the main shape of the curve approximates an exponential slope after day eight

which is consistent with the measurement of the optical density

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

24

Figure 14 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light conditions

In addition the amount of biomass increases daily in every Batch according to the results of the

optical density

This is not so in the case of the dry weight measurement where no decipherable pattern can be

determined for the first half of the test period Some problems occurred during the laboratory

processing including the malfunctioning of an oven during day 6 and a restoration of the

samples during day seven Additionally as a consequence of the high error-proneness of the

earlier dry weight analysis due to the use of relatively small volumes findings from the dry

weight analyses should be considered with caution

Beyond these issues it has to be mentioned that the colonies didnrsquot reach the stationary phase

and thus also failed reach the death phase These two statuses of the growth dynamic could

have been interesting for the comparison of the algaechlorophyll ratio while exposed to different

light intensities

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

25

The results of biomass and spectrophotometer analyses confirm the findings of the designed

prototype in the way that the order of the batches in proportion to dissolved substances (

biomass) is the same as the order of the Batches themselves (BA lt BB lt BC lt BD lt BE dayx)

Figure 15 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

The figure above shows the general light intensity that passes through the sample filled with

water (~ 245 V) The larger the amount of dissolved material in the sample the less light will

pass through it and consequently the lower the measured voltage will be With a general

tendency toward a lower voltage a larger amount of biomass can be ascertained but it has to be

mentioned that no statements about the type of curve shape can be made Unfortunately more

test results would have been necessary to make further statements

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

A

B

C

D

E

Water

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

26

32 Chlorophyll formation

After the chlorophyll-acetone mix is stored for 24 hours it is analyzed with a spectrophotometer

For the calculation of chlorophyll content according to Jeffrey amp Humphrey (1975) only some

wavelengths are important Nevertheless the chlorophyll was treated in the same way as the

algae and measurements were made in the range of 400 nm to 750 nm in order to determine

possible similarities

Figure 16 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination conditions

The concentration of total chlorophyll increases during the test The results show a steady growth

if expressed as the exponential regression curve (dotted lines) for Batches D and E (R = 09) A

better correlation is shown for a linear regression for Batches A and B (R = 09 instead of 076)

Batch C doesnrsquot show a strong correlation under either a linear (R = 072) or an exponential

growth (R = 076) assumption Many factors affect the results of the Chlorophyll measurement

Firstly the analyses are susceptible to mistakes made during the processing When removing 10

ml from the batches with a concentration of barely 1 mgL and using those samples in a cuvette

of 3 mL the amount of Chlorophyll is typically in a range of 0 ndash 10 μgmL Working with such

small quantities can lead to inaccuracies during processing in addition to errors made on behalf

of the measuring engine itself

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 07602

Rsup2 = 09004

Rsup2 = 09037

Rsup2 = 07594

0

05

1

15

2

25

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Chlo

roph

yll a

+b (m

gl)

Day

C

D

E

B

A

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (C)

Expon (D)

Expon (D)

Expon (E)

Linear (B)

Expon (A)

Linear (A)

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

27

Nevertheless we can make the assumption that the tendency (daily increase) makes sense The

results of the pilot engine show slightly decreasing curves At day 8 there is an obvious mistake

to declare This is not visible with regard to algae measurement at day 93 This leads to the

assumption of a mistake made during the preparing procedure with acetone Since the

abnormality can be found in all batches a mistake during the withdrawal can be ruled out

Figure 17 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage

A further problem is that the curves are not clearly separable They cross each other without

showing a decipherable trend with regard to which batch has the highest or the lowest

translucency (which would be proportional to the voltage) As a consequence these results

cannot provide information about the effect of different light irradiation and it is questionable

whether they can be used to make an assumption about chlorophyll accumulation

3 The spectrophotometer analyzes of chlorophyll is one day after due to the 24 hours storing of the samples

0

05

1

15

2

25

3

7 8 9 10 11

Outp

ut vo

ltage

at 1

80deg(

V)

Days

E

B

C

D

A

Water

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

28

33 Correlation of Algae and Chlorophyll growth The main rationale for using different light irradiation for the Batches was to determine the

relationship between algae growth and the Chlorophyll enhancement Hence interest lay beyond

simply examining the thesis that the concentration of Chlorophyll is directly linked to the algae

growth Furthermore there was interest in exploring whether a specific relationship existed

between the algae growth rate the exposure to light and the amount of chlorophyll produced

Figure 18 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for 11 days

Unfortunately an incomplete test phase (no algae growth until the stationary phase) was

responsible for a lack of results that could be used for further analysis Nevertheless the ratio of

Chlorophyll-to-Algae growth shows a decent progression (see also Table 4) There is no

evidence for a similar progression if the tests proceed for one or two weeks In theory the

chlorophyll concentration should increase more rapidly in the exponential phase (until now the

progress is best described as a linear growth) Furthermore the concentration of algae as well as

of chlorophyll from batch E should reach its maximum first followed by batch D C B A (in

this order) and continue at a stationary rate

BAA

lgae

BAC

hlBB

Alg

aeBB

Chl

BCA

lgae

BCC

hl

BDA

lgae

BDC

hl

BEA

lgae

BEC

hl

002040608

112141618

12

34

56

78

9 1011

BatchSubstrate

Abso

rban

ce

Days

BAAlgae

BAChl

BBAlgae

BBChl

BCAlgae

BCChl

BDAlgae

BDChl

BEAlgae

BEChl

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

29

Due to the issues described in the earlier chapters the results from analyses on biomass are less

convincing than those arising from the analyses of the spectrophotometer In addition and

contrary to the absorbance measurement the values of dry weight and calculated chlorophyll

correlate weakly in cases of batches with higher light saturation This may be due to inaccuracies

from the dry weight results or another reason could be the earlier start of a kind of exponential

growth for the chlorophyll while the results for the biomass donrsquot show an exponential increase

until the 7th day

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes

Substrate Biomass (mgl) ndash Dry weight and Chl Optical density (V) -

Prototype Absorbance - Spectrophotometer

Min Max R Min Max R Min Max R BAAlgae 146 327

092 185 061

- 013 156

094 BAChl 001 164 212 170 001 017 BBAlgae 154 444

085 124 049

- 013 169

089 BBChl 004 172 206 175 001 026 BCAlgae 170 478

078 097 042

- 012 170

082 BCChl 002 188 194 181 001 023 BDAlgae 162 504

068 104 044

- 011 172

094 BDChl 002 124 196 171 001 026 BEAlgae 160 515

066 130 035

- 009 175

097 BEChl 002 114 215 195 001 031 The less exciting results are unfortunately given by the Prototype Here no significant correlation

can be mentioned at all In contrast to the spectrophotometer these values are provided by the

direct transmission Therefore the highest solution has the lowest value because more light is

absorbed by the dissolved material which is in this case biomass (or pure chlorophyll) This

result is surprisingly disappointing because the tests performed beforehand with fluorescence

(realized by Leonardo M Rolim) show a straight dependency of proportional relationship

between percental solution and transmission (see Figure 19 below)

Fluorescein is a fluorescent dye from the group of the xanthene It was used for the previous tests

because itrsquos a non-biological and well known substance with which all unwished side effects of a

living system can be avoided during tests

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

30

Figure 19 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence (Rolim Heinen amp Huff 2014)

The graph shows the transmission by 180 degC as accomplished with the algae and chlorophyll

during this work The curve suggests a negative exponential trend This was also expected for the

new series of tests While a clear difference can be recorded in the case of fluorescein the values

of chlorophyll almost didnrsquot change This could be an effect of the high fluorescent impact of

fluorescence Due to the growth rate of chlorophyll (see Table 4 Chl Min and Max) which goes

from 001 gmL up to almost 18 gmL (180 times more) compared with the fluorescence which

goes from 001 gmL up to 03 gmL (30 times more) this is questionable since the concentration

difference is 5 times higher for pure chlorophyll a fluorescent pigment as well but the effect is

very little Nevertheless it could be an indication as to why results from the test were not as

expected

The analyses by the fluorimeter provides further interesting results The figure below presents

the results of chlorophyll for the 11th day The x-axis shows the input of the wave length

produced by the laser The excitation is visible on the y-axis while curves on the graph present

one specific wave length each between 400 and 800 nm (with an interval of 5 ie a new

measurement was performed for every 5 nm) In order to simplify the graphical presentation the

legend was omitted

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

31

Figure 20 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for chlorophyll

The figure provides an important insight into the behavior of chlorophyll fluorescent The

formation on the bluish part of the light spectrum (270 ndash 430 nm) and the second cluster of peaks

between 650 and 675 nm are quite revealing The table below explains the most important

curves

Table 5 Legend of figure 16

Color wave length (nm) red 675 blue 670 gray 680

light green 665 orange 685

light blue 660 dark blue 690 dark green 695

These eight curves are explicitly mentioned because they have the highest response in the tested

emission spectrum Due to usually low concentrations of samples eg chlorophyll in μgml a

high response is vital The results of the other test days are equal They simply vary in the height

of excitation as a result of a higher concentration

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Exita

tion

ampe

rage

at 9

0deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

32

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0 and 11 for chlorophyll (BA)

The daily difference of the excitation is presented above The course of the curves is equal and

just differs as mentioned before in the amount of ampere measured by the receptor The same

shape would be plotted by the other batches The only difference again would be the level of

excitation

The progression of the chlorophyll curves during the tests shows a permanent increase beginning

at day three An exponential correlation can be verified for the plotted curves Thus the results

from the fluorimeter are as expected before Still the problem as mentioned before of the

incomplete growth of the algae was responsible for a lack of further information which could

have been interesting

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

33

Figure 22 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

In the following section the results from the algae analyses are explained One problem has to be

mentioned beforehand

The graph below shows the outcome from the last day Highly overlapping curves are visible

This is not caused by fluorescence but by the reflection of each wave length itself due to a high

solution The analyses made by the fluorimeter requires at least 30 minutes That it enough time

for the dissolved particle to settle down The x-axis can accordingly be viewed as a timeline

scale As more time passes by the reflection impact reduces

Rsup2 = 08453

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Days

660

665

430

405

375

Log (375)

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

34

Figure 23 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11)4

When the y-axis is limited to 100000 mA some other formations are visible Interestingly they

have the same shape as the curves of the chlorophyll which leads to the assumption that those

overlapped curves are indeed the fluorescent impact of the chlorophyll pigments

4 Every curve presents one wave length of the emission spectrum in an interval of five The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90deg

(mA)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

35

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA5

On closer examination it can be interpreted that the higher curves (blue orange green dark

blue redhellip) are the same wavelengths as seen in the Table 5 Legend of figure 16rdquo The highest

response again is at 675 nm Measureing by a different wave length than 675 nm will cause

lower excitation The same happens in case of chlorophyll

The excitation is low in comparison with the results of the pure chlorophyll because the

chlorophyll is not separated from the cells which hinders the light from reaching the pigments

in addition to leaving the sample and stimulating the receptor

The comparison with the other batches and the analyses of the different days provides the same

results as for the chlorophyll That means the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BB(dx) lt BC(dx) lt BD(dx)

lt BE(dx) and the Excitation of BA(dx) lt BA(dx+1) BB(dx) lt BB(dx+1) BC(dx) lt BC(dx+1)

BD(dx) lt BD(dx+1) BE(dx) lt BE(dx+1)

5 The legend is once more excluded due to a better overview

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

100000

300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 750

Excit

atio

n am

pera

ge a

t 90

deg(m

A)

Emission wave lenght (nm)

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

36

4 Conclusiones

According to the results from the fluorimeter the algae growth and chlorophyll enhancement

appear to be as expected This leads to the question as to why the previous tests donrsquot have

similar outcomes The answer to this question and the reason why fluorimeters are used for low

quantities is the same They have a very high accuracy and are thus extremely efficient even

for low quantities Nevertheless they are extremely expensive and the main task of this project

was to determine whether it was possible to measure chlorophyll (pure or even intracellular) with

the prototype or if not to work out further steps for the development of the engine

The first step apart from the biological section is to make the engine more stable During the

project problems often occurred with regard to replication of results because small changes in the

electrical connection contributed to different outcomes while using the same sample This made

the testing more complicated and made unnecessary repetitions of measurement indispensable A

shell for the entire construction in which the electronic is fixed should solve this problem An

extension cable which leads to the measuring box together with a smaller diameter of the cell

itself would also be useful The laser and the two receptors should be installed separately from

the cell and waterproofed (plastic and glue should be sufficient) As a result the cell could be

introduced into a sample to measure which not only simplifies the procedure but it is also closer

to any practical application

The next action is the acquisition of the correct optical filter The results of the fluorimeter

suggest an optimal emission at 430 plusmn 10 nm while the excitation should be measured at 675 plusmn 10

nm The closer the measurement is to these wavelengths the higher the values of the results

Furthermore it was explained how other wave lengths overlap the fluorescence effect This can

be avoided by use of at least two filters one which filters the light of the laser and blocks out

every wavelength except for those in the range of eg 420 ndash 440 nm and a second filter which

allows for only the spectrum from 665 to 685 nm to pass

Nevertheless an upgrade of either the receptor or laser but probably both will be inevitable As

mentioned in the previous chapter the outcome of the 90deg measurement for algae and

chlorophyll is almost zero In actuality it has the same value as if measured with water which

means that the receptor is not able to recognize any approaching light On the other hand it may

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

37

be that the laser is too weak so that not enough light is injected In any case adjustment for the

right filter range should be the first step

When the filter and laserreceptor problems are solved a new test with fluorescence would make

sense At this stage it is important not only that the results are good for one series of tests but

also that they are repeatable Daily calibration of the engine is not only effortful and time-

consuming but it can also lead to variable results After good and stable results are achieved

with fluoresce a new test series with algae can be started Therefore it would be useful to create

a serial dilution of an algae culture which is already in the stationary phase and highly

concentrated If the results are suitable it can be continued with a serial dilution of those algae

Even if the results from the 90deg measurement are not satisfying a further test with pure

chlorophyll could be accomplished on condition that the results from the 180deg measurement are

decent

Only after all the described experiments have sufficient results should a new long-term test series

be started For this purpose no more than three batches should be installed with an intensity of

illumination between 3000 and 10000 lux The test duration should be approximately 30 days to

ensure that the culture passes through all growing and dying phases Tests performed with the

spectrophotometer can indicate a change of the growing conditions so that further and more

elaborated tests with the fluorimeter and biomass can be performed The measurement of

biomass should be sufficient if performed every three days (a daily testing during the exponential

phase would perhaps be useful) By using the fluorimeter care has to be taken so that the dilution

of the sample is large enough otherwise overlapping effects occur The analyses with the sensor

should be performed daily in order to get a consistent overview of the chlorophyllalgae ratio as

well as to gauge the accuracy of the sensor

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

38

5 Bibliography Boumlcker J (1979) Spektroskopie Instrumentelle Analytik mit Atom- und Molekuumllspektroskopie

(1 Edition Ausg) Wuumlrzburg Vogel Verlag und Druck GmbH amp Co

Hegewald P (2006) Scenedesmusndashlike algae of Ukraine Tsarenko E amp B Braband

Lehmann E W (1892) Uumlber ein Photometer Erlangen

Lourenccedilo S (2006) Cultivo de Microalgas Marinhas Princiacutepios e Aplicaccedilotildees

Luumlrling M (1999) The Smell of Water Grazer-Induced Colony Formation in Scenedesmus

Wageningen Pulz und Gross

Mills I Cvitaš T Homann K Kallay N amp Kuchitsu K (1993) Quantities Units and

Symbols in Physical Chemistry (Green Book)

Rolim L M Heinen A L amp Huff D D (2014) Desenvolvimento de sensor oacuteptico portaacutetil

para mediccedilatildeoes online de concentraccedilatildeo no cultivo de microalgas Porto Alegre

Rouilly V (2014) Schmidt W (2000) Optische Spektroskopie (Bd 2 Edition) Weinheim

WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH

Unknown (1999) Photometer Spektrum Akademischer Verlag

Willows R D (2013) Structure of chlorophyll Organic Letters

Zander M (1981) Fluorimetrie Berlin-Heidelberg-New York Springer-Verlag

Internet sources Openwetwareorg

photometercom

teachingshuacuk

wikipediaorg

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

39

6 List of figures Figure 1 Pilot batch deployment 7

Figure 2 Relation between transmittance and absorbance 9

Figure 3 Structure of a photometer 10

Figure 4 Structure of a photometer with a dual-bean 12

Figure 5 Dual beam measuring method with only one photodetector 13

Figure 6 Common structure of a fluorimeter device 15

Figure 7 schematic diagram of the prototype sensor (left) and photo (right) 16

Figure 8 Filter ldquoStrawrdquo to eliminate unwished wave length 17

Figure 9 Chemical structure of chlorophyll 18

Figure 10 Sketch of algae growth dynamics 20

Figure 11 Progress of all 5 batches in a time interval of 11 days 21

Figure 13 By comparison absorbance between 400 nm and 750 nm of five batches at day 6 and 7

22

Figure 14 Progress of culture growth comparing Batch E (left) and A (right) during the 10 days

in comparison to the Absorbance 23

Figure 15 Dry weight (mgl) of Scenedesmus Sp for 10 days grown under different light

conditions 24

Figure 16 Algae development measured by prototype during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function

of voltage 25

Figure 17 Chlorophyll (mgl) of Scenedesmus sp for 10 days grown under different illumination

conditions 26

Figure 18 Chlorophyll development during the days 7 - 11 plotted as a function of voltage 27

Figure 19 Collocation of AlgaeChlorophyll absorbance (by 665 nm) by a spectrophotometer for

11 days 28

Figure 20 Measuring points of concentration given in optical density from fluorescence 30

Figure 21 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter of day 11 for

chlorophyll 31

Figure 22 Display of emission and excitation measured by the fluorimeter between the days 0

and 11 for chlorophyll (BA) 32

Figure 23 Trend of the chlorophyll excitation peaks during 11 days measured by the fluorimeter

33

Figure 24 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) 34

Figure 25 Fluorimeter results of algae (BA day11) with limited y-axes up to 100000 mA 35

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

40

7 List of tables Table 1 Composition of algae supplementary medium 6

Table 2 Specifications of the used T80 spectrophotometer 11

Table 3 Specifications of the used FluoroMaxR Fluorimeter 13

Table 4 Overview of the results of biomass prototype and spectrophotometer analyzes 29

Table 5 Legend of figure 16 31

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature

41

Declaration of Authorship I hereby certify that this work has been composed by me and is based on my own work

unless stated otherwise No other person`s work has been used without due

acknowledgement in this report All references and verbatim extracts have been quoted

and all sources of information including graphs and data sets have been specifically

acknowledged

______________________ ________________________ Ort Datum Signature