THE EFFECT OF RED, BLUE, AND WHITE LIGHT ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF CHLORELLA VULGARIS

Abstract

Chlorella vulgaris is a microalgae known as a photoautotrophic organism with high potential to produce biomass, bioenergy, and bioactive compounds. Chlorella vulgaris has attracted international attention due to its potential to produce biofuel, high-quality biomass, and compounds of economic value. Microalgae photosynthesis is strongly influenced by light; the spectrum and intensity of light directly affect the chlorophyll content, and biomass productivity. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different colors of red light (630–700 nm), blue (430-490 nm), white (380-750 nm) on the productivity of Chlorella vulgaris. The research method consists of making AF6 media, Chlorella vulgaris propagation, measuring growth rates, measuring chlorophyll a & b content, and measuring biomass. The results of this study are that white light lighting shows the highest specific growth rate, red light lighting shows the highest biomass, while blue light lighting shows the highest chlorophyll a and b content. The conclusion of this study is that there are differences in Chlorella vulgaris productivity under red, blue, and white light. This research is expected to contribute to the development of microalgae cultivation technology, particularly Chlorella vulgaris. Further research is expected to test combinations of two or more light colors, such as red and blue combinations, to achieve more optimal overall productivity