Preliminary data set to assess the performance of an outdoor membrane photobioreactor

Abstract This data in brief (DIB) article is related to a Research article entitled ´Optimising an outdoor membrane photobioreactor for tertiary sewage treatment´ [1]. Data related to the effect of substrate turbidity, the ammonium concentration at which the culture reaches nitrogen-deplete conditions and the microalgae growth rate under outdoor conditions is provided. Microalgae growth rates under different substrate turbidity were obtained to assess the reduction of the culture´s light availability. Lab-scale experiments showed growth rates reductions of 22-44%. Respirometric tests were carried to know the limiting ammonium concentration in this microalgae-based wastewater treatment system. Growth rates (μ) of green microalgae Scenedesmus and Chlorella obtained under outdoor conditions; i.e. 0.40 d-1 (R2 = 0.993) and 0.43 d-1 (R2 = 0.995), respectively, can be useful to obtain optimum operating conditions of membrane photobioreator (MPBR).