Cultivation of microalgae in the solution from the desalting process of soy sauce waste treatment and utilization of the algal biomass for ethanol fermentation

The growth of four marine microalgae was examined in a medium prepared from the effluent from the desalting process of soy sauce waste. A strain of Du naliella that showed abundant growth on soy sauce waste extract was selecte d, and optimum cultivation conditions were determined. The algal cells prod uced were disrupted, and saccharified with glucoamylase. The saccharified s olution was fermented using Saccharomyces cerevisiae IAM 4140. Stoichiometr ic study revealed that 11 mg of ethanol was produced from 1g (dry cell weig ht) of Dunaliella cells. This work indicates a new method for removing wast e products of the soy sauce production industry.