HOME JOURNALS CONTACT

Pakistan Journal of Nutrition

Year: 2012 | Volume: 11 | Issue: 7 | Page No.: 648-652
DOI: 10.3923/pjn.2012.648.652
Uptake of Nutrients from Municipal Wastewater and Biodiesel Production by Mixed Algae Culture
Farooq Ahmad, Amin U. Khan and Abdullah Yasar

Abstract: Eutrophication of water bodies is matter of concern for the last few decades because wastewater without treatment can cause serious health effects and disturb functioning of ecosystem. The objective of the current study was to utilize nutrient present in wastewater for algal growth and biodiesel production from harvested biomass of algae. Mixed algae culture (Microspora sp., Diatoms, Lyngbya sp., Cladophora sp., Spirogyra sp. and Rhizoclonium sp.) collected from Botanic Garden of Government College University Lahore was grown in artificial ponds of 13.5 L capacity. Algal growth was monitored for six days by measuring its fresh and dry weight which showed almost similar results of 3.34 g/day and 3 g/day respectively. Uptake of total Kjeldahl nitrogen (55%), total phosphorous (61%), nitrate (97%), phosphate (93%), sulphate (34%) and chloride (41%) was carried by mixed algae culture from wastewater. Seasonal variation in the absorption of nutrients in alternate months of the year showed higher uptake in March, September and November due to favorable conditions for algal growth. Yield of biodiesel produced by transesterification of dried algal biomass was calculated to be 15.13% on an average. Quality of biodiesel was analyzed for kinematic viscosity (4.5 mm2/s), flash point (167°C), specific gravity (0.895 g/ml), iodine value (80 mg/g), acid number (0.65 mg. KOH/g) and water contents (32 mg/kg). It was found that the quality of biodiesel was according to the ASTM standards for biodiesel.

Fulltext PDF

How to cite this article
Farooq Ahmad, Amin U. Khan and Abdullah Yasar, 2012. Uptake of Nutrients from Municipal Wastewater and Biodiesel Production by Mixed Algae Culture. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 11: 648-652.

Keywords: Wastewater, algae, nutrients, biodiesel, growth and transesterification

REFERENCES

  • APHA., 2005. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. 21st Edn., American Public Health Association, Washington, DC., USA., ISBN-13: 978-0875530475, Pages: 1200
    Direct Link    


  • Barbara, J.S., 2007. The false promise of biofuels. Special Report from the International Forum on Globalization and the Institute for Policy Studies, pp: 30.


  • Boccard, R., L. Buchter, E. Casteels, E. Cosentino and E. Dransfield et al., 1981. Procedures for measuring meat quality characteristics in beef production experiments. Report of a working group in the Commission of the European Communities (CEC), beef production research programm. Livest. Prod. Sci., 8: 385-397.
    CrossRef    


  • Carpenter, S.R., N.F. Caraco, D.L. Correll, R.W. Howarth, A.N. Sharpley and V.H. Smith, 1998. Nonpoint pollution of surface waters with phosphorus and nitrogen. Ecol. Applic., 8: 559-568.
    CrossRef    Direct Link    


  • Chisti, Y., 2008. Biodiesel from microalgae beats bioethanol. Trends Biotechnol., 26: 126-131.
    CrossRef    Direct Link    


  • Greenwell, H.C., L.M.L. Laurens, R.J. Shields, R.W. Lovitt and K.J. Flynn, 2010. Placing microalgae on the biofuels priority list: A review of the technological challenges. J. R. Soc. Interface, 7: 703-726.
    CrossRef    Direct Link    


  • Karaosmanoglu, F., K.B. Cigizoglu, M. Tuter and S. Ertekin, 1996. Investigation of the refining step of biodiesel production. Energy Fuels, 10: 890-895.
    CrossRef    


  • Lang, X., A.K. Dalai, N.N. Bakhshi, M.J. Reaney and P.B. Hertz, 2001. Preparation and characterization of bio-diesels from various bio-oils. Bioresour. Technol., 80: 53-62.
    CrossRef    Direct Link    


  • Li, X., H. Xu and Q. Wu, 2007. Large-scale biodiesel production from microalga Chlorella protothecoides through heterotrophic cultivation in bioreactors. Biotechnol. Bioeng., 98: 764-771.
    CrossRef    Direct Link    


  • Li, Y., Y.F. Chen, P. Chen, M. Min and W. Zhou et al., 2011. Characterization of a microalga Chlorella sp. well adapted to highly concentrated municipal wastewater for nutrient removal and biodiesel production. Bioresour. Technol., 102: 5138-5144.
    CrossRef    


  • Marland, G., T.A. Boden and R.J. Andres, 2007. Global, regional and national CO2 emissions. In Trends: A compendium of data on global change. Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, United States Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, TN., USA.


  • McGriff Jr., E.C. and R.E. McKinney, 1972. The removal of nutrients and organics by activated algae. Water Res., 6: 1155-1164.
    CrossRef    


  • Oswald, W.J., E.W. Lee, B. Adan and K.H. Yao, 1978. New wastewater treatment method yields a harvest of saleable algae. WHO Chronicle, 32: 348-350.
    PubMed    Direct Link    


  • Ruiz-Marin, A., L.G. Mendoza-Espinosa and T. Stephenson, 2010. Growth and nutrient removal in free and immobilized green algae in batch and semi-continuous cultures treating real wastewater. Bioresour. Technol., 101: 58-64.
    CrossRef    


  • Sheehan, J., T. Dunahay, J. Benemann and P. Roessler, 1998. A look back at the U.S. department of energy's aquatic species program biodiesel from algae. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL/TP-580-24190, U.S. Department of Energy.


  • Shirvani, T., X. Yan, O.R. Inderwildi, P.P. Edwards and D.A. King, 2011. Life cycle energy and greenhouse gas analysis for algae-derived biodiesel. Energy Environ. Sci., 4: 3773-3778.
    CrossRef    


  • Tam, N.F.Y. and Y.S. Wong, 1989. Wastewater nutrient removal by Chlorella pyrenoidosa and Scenedesmus sp. Environ. Pollut., 58: 19-34.
    CrossRef    


  • Wang, L., M. Min, Y. Li, P. Chen and Y. Chen et al., 2010. Cultivation of green algae Chlorella sp. In different wastewaters from municipal wastewater treatment plant. Applied Biochem. Biotechnol., 162: 1174-1186.
    CrossRef    


  • Zarina, A., Masud-ul-Hasan and M. Shameel, 2005. Taxonomic study of Vaucheriophyta Shameel from certain areas of the Punjab and NWFP, Pakistan. Int. J. Phycol. Phycochem., 1: 159-166.


  • Zarina, A., Masud-ul-Hasan and M. Shameel, 2005. Taxonomic study of the order Ulotrichales (Chlorophyta) from north-eastern areas of Pakistan. Pak. J. Bot., 37: 797-806.
    Direct Link    

  • © Science Alert. All Rights Reserved