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Microalgal strains adapted to the harsh Nordic climate were isolated from Swedish fresh- and wastewater sources and tested for their ability to grow in municipal wastewater. The 62 strains able to grow in municipal wastewater belonged to 12 different genera, of those Desmodesmus, Scenedesmus and Chlorella were most representative. Eight axenic strains were further characterized, all of which could efficiently remove nitrogen (>90%) and phosphate (>99%) from the wastewater in less than two weeks. The microalga Coelastrella sp. had the highest performance in terms of both biomass concentration and total lipid content (1.46 g/L, 30.8%) after 13 days of cultivation. This is the first report of a Coelastrella strain isolated in Sweden. Even Chlorella vulgaris performed very well with a biomass concentration and total lipid content of 1.15 g/L and 34.2%, respectively. Finally, two Desmodesmus sp. strains showed desirable traits for biofuel-feedstock, due to their fast growth rates (1.18 and 1.08 d⁻¹) together with high oil content (29.8% and 36.7% of DW).

In Northern countries, microalgal-based processes are challenging due to low light and temperature conditions during a significant part of the year. Three natural strains from Northern Sweden (Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus sp., Desmodesmus sp.) and a collection strain (Scenedesmus obliquus UTEX 417) were cultured in municipal wastewater, comparing their performances, biomass composition and nutrients removal under continuous light at standard (25 °C) and low temperature (5 °C), short photoperiod (3 h light, 25 °C), or moderate winter conditions (6 h light, 15 °C). Only the natural strains grew at low temperature, highly consuming total nitrogen and phosphate (>80% and >70%, respectively) even during cold- and dark-stress. At reduced growth rates, C. vulgaris and Scenedesmus sp. produced similar amounts of biomass (>1 g/l) as in standard conditions. Scenedesmus sp. and Desmodesmus sp. showed phenotypic plasticity and increased carbohydrate content. Short photoperiod strongly reduced growth rates, biomass and storage compounds and induced flocculation in C. vulgaris.

Co-cultivation of microalgae and bacteria during municipal wastewater treatment can boost carbon and nutrient recovery as a result of their synergistic interactions. The symbiotic relationships between the locally isolated microalga Chlorella vulgaris and the bacterium Rhizobium sp., co-isolated from municipal wastewater, were investigated batchwise under photoautotrophic, heterotrophic, and mixotrophic conditions in a synthetic municipal wastewater medium. During photoautotrophic growth in BG11 medium, photosynthetic algal oxygenation and organic carbon production supported bacterial activity but no significant beneficial effects on microalgal growth were observed. In synthetic wastewater, a twofold higher biomass concentration was achieved in the axenic algal culture compared with the co-culture under heterotrophic conditions, suggesting a competition for nutrients. A comparable carbon removal was observed in all cultures (83–79% TOC), but a faster nitrogen consumption (59% TN) and complete phosphate assimilation (100% TP) was only achieved in the co-culture. A positive synergistic relationship was found under mixotrophic conditions, clearly supported by an in situ O2/CO2 exchange between the microorganisms. This mutualism led to a threefold higher biomass production with a 13-fold higher fatty acid content compared with the axenic algal culture, as well as a superior wastewater treatment performance (+ 58% TOC, + 41% TN and + 44% TP). The co-cultivation of C. vulgaris and Rhizobium is therefore suggested as a potential microbial consortium for a cost-efficient biomass generation during municipal wastewater reclamation, especially under mixotrophic conditions.

A pilot-scale high-rate algal pond (HRAP) located in Northern Sweden was inoculated with the collection strain S. dimorphus UTEX 417 in spring and operated until autumn. The microbial diversity of eukaryotic and prokaryotic communities and their seasonal dynamics over time were revealed by high-throughput metabarcoding of 18S and 16S rRNA genes and correlated with various environmental factors. S. dimorphus was initially stable in the culture, but other microalgae appeared later and co-dominate the system as a consequence of predation by zooplankton. Desmodesmus, Pseudocharaciopsis, Chlorella, Characium and Oocystis were the main competing algal species. Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria were the most abundant bacterial phyla in the HRAP. The bacterial and zooplanktonic communities changed with seasonal variation, correlation not only with changes in light and temperature, but also with abiotic factors (pH and nutrients) were observed.