Use of the microalga Monoraphidium sp. grown in wastewater as a feedstock for biodiesel: Cultivation and fuel characteristics

Abstract

The use of microalgae as feedstocks for biodiesel is potentially limited by climatic conditions with low light and temperature levels. Monoraphidium sp. Dek19 was identified by 18S rRNA gene sequencing. This is a species indigenous to the upper Midwestern USA which grows to high densities in wastewater with bioremediation resulting in a reduction of nitrate and phosphate levels. Mesocosm pool cultures (171L) were used to characterize growth of this species in larger volumes than typical of previous lab-based studies,. The alga was shown to be cold-tolerant and to grow to workable density within 15 days at relatively low light intensities in sterilized treated effluent. It was harvested by FeCl3 flocculation and filtration, and lipid content was measured at 26% of dry weight. Pool cultures yielded enough biomass to extract lipids and transesterify them to biodiesel for testing in a stationary engine. GC analysis showed FAMEs produced from Monoraphidium sp. to have a similar fatty acid profile to soybean oil. Engine testing of this algal biodiesel in blends with petrodiesel showed

Microalgal biofuel revisited: An informatics-based analysis of developments to date and future prospects

“…Some of the main species of algae used in large-scale commercial production are restricted to geographic locations with warm climate and would be unable to grow at acceptable rates during the hot or cold season of certain geographical region [84]. One solution to this problem is to identify indigenous algae that are adapted to the local environment [84]. In addition, native microalgal species also performed better than most other species in commercial scale cultivation with native environment [85].…”

“…Mixed cultures of algae can sustain themselves in complex environments, and diverse microalgal communities are considered to be more stable and have a lower invasion risk than monocultures [83]. Some of the main species of algae used in large-scale commercial production are restricted to geographic locations with warm climate and would be unable to grow at acceptable rates during the hot or cold season of certain geographical region [84]. One solution to this problem is to identify indigenous algae that are adapted to the local environment [84].…”

Fuel properties and emission characteristics of biodiesel produced from unused algae grown in India

“…From the point of view of environmental pollution, algae can be a good resource for biodiesel production. It has been reported that application of air supplemented with carbon dioxide at the time of algae culture increases the oil content of the algae (Holbrook et al 2014;Dassey et al 2014) and biofuels from algae fix 0.6% CO 2 (Ponnusamy et al 2014).…”

Can algal biotechnology bring effective solution for closing the phosphorus cycle? Use of algae for nutrient removal: Review of past trends and future perspectives in the context of nutrient recovery

“…Other species used are for example Monoraphidium sp., Chlorella ellipsoidea, Chlorella vulgaris, Neochloris oleoabundans or Desmodesmus sp. All these species are able to effectively remove nutrients from wastewater (Wang et al 2011;Arbib et al 2014;Holbrook et al 2014;Fang et al 2015).…”