Polder Tawang Semarang : Study Case of Biotechnological Application and Waste Water treatment as part of Integrated Coastal Management

Abstract

Microalgae are microscopic plants that convert solar energy and CO2 into O2 and carbohydrates, then used to synthesize all other biomass constituents. Contaminant microalgae act as an eutrophication and pollution controlling agent for the removal of P and N. Polder Tawang Semarang was the ideal example for an open source outdoor pond of natural microalgae cultures cultivation. It was a subject and model for biotechnological application and waste water treatment to reduce pollution and eutrophication marked by blooming of microalgae. Biotechnology application was used to product biofertilizer from nitrogen-fixing microalgae contaminant. Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) have been studied as possible biofertilizers because of the ability to fix atmospheric N under anaerobic conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of contaminant microalgae from Polder Tawang Semarang as biofertilizers as an initiative study for exploiting their innate potentials and pollution management. The research result shows that application of microalgae contaminant from Polder Tawang Semarang in the plant as biofertilizers has yielded satisfactory results comparing to controlled experiments.