Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Algal Biomass Production Using Waste Water

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Biomass and Bioenergy

Abstract

Microalgae have emerged as a potential feedstock for sustainable energy in recent years because of their higher biomass productivity and ability to eradicate air and water pollutants via bio-extraction. Augmentation of lipid contents through metabolic pathway engineering and growth conditions optimization along with the efficient harvesting and processing technologies are leading goals of today’s microalgae research. Although microalgae have huge potential for biodiesel production yet there are several challenges for making it commercially available. Among several others, extensive water requirement for microalgae cultivation is a major challenge because water is one of the basic requirements for algal cultivation. This chapter describes the current status of algal biomass production and its biotechnological potential as well as exploitation for biofuel production using waste water. The key challenges to algal biomass production on commercial scale, biorefinery concept, and future perspective of the technology are also discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Acien Fernandez F, Garcia Camacho F, Chisti Y (1999) Photobioreactors: light regime, mass transfer, and scaleup. Prog Ind Microbiol 35:231–247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ahrens T, Sander H (2010) Microalgae in waste water treatment: green gold from sludge. Bioforum Eur 14(3):16–18

    Google Scholar 

  • An JY, Sim SJ, Lee JS, Kim BW (2003) Hydrocarbon production from secondarily treated piggery wastewater by the green alga Botryococcus braunii. J Appl Phycol 15:185–191

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bhatnagar A, Bhatnagar M, Chinnasamy S, Das K (2010) Chlorella minutissima—a promising fuel alga for cultivation in municipal wastewaters. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 161:523–536

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brennan L, Owende P (2010) Biofuels from microalgaea: a review of technologies for production, processing, and extractions of biofuels and co-products. Renew Sustain Eneegy Rev 14(2):557–577

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carvalho AP, Meireles LA, Malcata FX (2006) Microalgal reactors: a review of enclosed system designs and performances. Biotechnol Prog 22(6):1490–1506

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chinnasamy S, Bhatnagar A, Claxton R, Das K (2010) Biomass and bioenergy production potential of microalgae consortium in open and closed bioreactors using untreated carpet industry effluent as growth medium. Bioresour Technol 101(17):6751–6760

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chisti Y (2007) Biodiesel from microalgae. Biotechnol Adv 25(3):294–306

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cho S, Luong TT, Lee D, Oh Y-K, Lee T (2011) Reuse of effluent water from a municipal wastewater treatment plant in microalgae cultivation for biofuel production. Bioresour Technol 102(18):8639–8645

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chu WL, See Y, Phang SM (2009) Use of immobilised Chlorella vulgaris for the removal of colour from textile dyes. J Appl Phycol 21:641–648

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cicci A, Stoller M, Bravi M (2013) Microalgal biomass production by using ultra-and nanofiltration membrane fractions of olive mill wastewater. Water Res 47(13):4710–4718

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clarens AF, Resurreccion EP, White MA, Colosi LM (2010) Environmental life cycle comparison of algae to other bioenergy feedstocks. Environ Sci Technol 44(5):1813–1819

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Craggs R, Sutherland D, Campbell H (2012) Hectare-scale demonstration of high rate algal ponds for enhanced wastewater treatment and biofuel production. J Appl Phycol 24(3):329–337

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dalrymple OK, Halfhide T, Udom I, Gilles B, Wolan J, Zhang Q, Ergas S (2013) Wastewater use in algae production for generation of renewable resources: a review and preliminary results. Aquat Biosyst 9:2

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Diaz L, Borges M (2012) Low-quality vegetable oils as feedstock for biodiesel production using k-pumice as solid catalyst. Tolerance of water and free fatty acids contents. J Agric Food Chem 60(32):7928–7933

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Franklin N, Adams M, Stauber J, Lim R (2001) Development of an improved rapid enzyme inhibition bioassay with marine and freshwater microalgae using flow cytometry. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 40(4):469–480

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fu F, Wang Q (2011) Removal of heavy metal ions from wastewaters: a review. J Environ Manage 92:407–418

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gill SS, Mehmood MA, Rashid U, Ibrahim M, Saqib A, Tabassum MR (2013) Waste-water treatment coupled with biodiesel production using microalgae: a bio-refinery approach. Pak J Life Soc Sci 11(3):179–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Illman A, Scragg A, Shales S (2000) Increase in Chlorella strains calorific values when grown in low nitrogen medium. Enzyme Microb Technol 27(8):631–635

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kliphuis AM, de Winter L, Vejrazka C, Martens DE, Janssen M, Wijffels RH (2010) Photosynthetic efficiency of Chlorella sorokiniana in a turbulently mixed short light path photobioreactor. Biotechnol Prog 26(3):687–696

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kong QX, Li L, Martinez B, Chen P, Ruan R (2010) Culture of microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii in wastewater for biomass feedstock production. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 160(1):9–18

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar R, Goyal D (2010) Waste water treatment and metal (Pb2+, Zn2+) removal by microalgal based stabilization pond system. Indian J Microbiol 50(1):34–40

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar A, Ergas S, Yuan X, Sahu A, Zhang Q, Dewulf J, Malcata FX, Van Langenhove H (2010) Enhanced CO2 fixation and biofuel production via microalgae: recent developments and future directions. Trends Biotechnol 28(7):371–380

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kuyucak N, Volesky B (1988) Biosorbents for recovery of metals from industrial solutions. Biotechnol Lett 10:137–142

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lam MK, Lee KT (2012) Microalgae biofuels: a critical review of issues, problems and the way forward. Biotechnol Adv 30(3):673–690

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lardon L, Helias A, Sialve B, Steyer J-P, Bernard O (2009) Life-cycle assessment of biodiesel production from microalgae. Environ Sci Technol 43(17):6475–6481

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li X, Hu HY, Yang J (2010) Lipid accumulation and nutrient removal properties of a newly isolated freshwater microalga, Scenedesmus sp. LX1, growing in secondary effluent. N Biotechnol 27:59–63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Chen Y-F, Chen P, Min M, Zhou W, Martinez B, Zhu J, Ruan R (2011a) Characterization of a microalga Chlorella sp. well adapted to highly concentrated municipal wastewater for nutrient removal and biodiesel production. Bioresour Technol 102(8):5138–5144

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li Y, Zhou W, Hu B, Min M, Chen P, Ruan RR (2011b) Integration of algae cultivation as biodiesel production feedstock with municipal wastewater treatment: strains screening and significance evaluation of environmental factors. Bioresour Technol 102(23):10861–10867

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lim DK, Garg S, Timmins M, Zhang ES, Thomas-Hall SR, Schuhmann H, Li Y, Schenk PM (2012) Isolation and evaluation of oil-producing microalgae from subtropical coastal and brackish waters. PLoS One 7(7):e40751

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Menger-Krug E, Niederste-Hollenberg J, Hillenbrand T, Hiessl H (2012) Integration of microalgae systems at municipal wastewater treatment plants: implications for energy and emission balances. Environ Sci Technol 46:11505–11514

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Musharraf SG, Ahmed MA, Zehra N, Kabir N, Choudhary MI, Rahman AU (2012) Biodiesel production from microalgal isolates of southern Pakistan and quantification of FAMEs by GC-MS/MS analysis. Chem Cent J 6(1):1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orpez R, Martínez ME, Hodaifa G, El-Yousfi F, Jbari N, Sánchez S (2009) Growth of the microalga Botryococcus braunii in secondarily treated sewage. Desalination 246:625–630

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Park J, Craggs R (2010) Wastewater treatment and algal production in high rate algal ponds with carbon dioxide addition. Water Sci Technol 61(3):633–639

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Park J, Craggs R, Shilton A (2011) Wastewater treatment high rate algal ponds for biofuel production. Bioresour Technol 102(1):35–42

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Petkov G, Ivanova A, Iliev I, Vaseva I (2012) A critical look at the microalgae biodiesel. Eur J lipid Sci Technol 114(2):103–111

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pittman JK, Dean AP, Osundeko O (2011) The potential of sustainable algal biofuel production using wastewater resources. Bioresour Technol 102:17–25

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pulz O (2001) Photobioreactors: production systems for phototrophic microorganisms. Appl Microb Biotechnol 57(3):287–293

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rashid U, Anwar F, Moser BR, Knothe G (2008) Moringa oleifera oil: a possible source of biodiesel. Bioresour Technol 99(17):8175–8179

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rashid U, Rehman HA, Hussain I, Ibrahim M, Haider MS (2011) Muskmelon (Cucumis melo) seed oil: a potential non-food oil source for biodiesel production. Energy 36(9):5632–5639

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rashid U, Ibrahim M, Ali S, Adil M, Hina S, Bukhari IH, Yunus R (2012) Comparative study of the methanolysis and ethanolysis of maize oils using alkaline catalysts. Grasas y Aceites 63(1):35–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Rashid U, Ibrahim M, Yasin S, Yunus R, Taufiq-Yap Y, Knothe G (2013) Biodiesel from Citrus reticulata (mandarin orange) seed oil, a potential non-food feedstock. Industrial Crops Prod 45:355–359

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodolfi L, Chini Zittelli G, Bassi N, Padovani G, Biondi N, Bonini G, Tredici MR (2009) Microalgae for oil: strain selection, induction of lipid synthesis and outdoor mass cultivation in a low-cost photobioreactor. Biotechnol Bioeng 102(1):100–112

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Romero-Gonzalez ME, Williams CJ, Gardiner PH (2001) Study of the mechanisms of cadmium biosorption by dealginated seaweed waste. Environ Sci Technol 35(14):3025–3030

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ryther JH, Tenore KR, Dunstan WM, Huguenin JE (1972) Controlled eutrophication-increasing food production from sea by recycling human wastes. Bioscience 22:144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sánchez Mirón A, Contreras Gómez A, García Camacho F, Molina Grima E, Chisti Y (1999) Comparative evaluation of compact photobioreactors for large-scale monoculture of microalgae. J Biotechnol 70(1):249–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santiago AF, Calijuri ML, Assemany PP, Calijuri Mdo C, dos Reis AJ (2013) Algal biomass production and wastewater treatment in high rate algal ponds receiving disinfected effluent. Environ Technol 34(13–14):1877–1885

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Saqib A, Tabbssum MR, Rashid U, Ibrahim M, Gill SS, Mehmood MA (2013) Marine macro algae Ulva: a potential feed-stock for bio-ethanol and biogas production. Asian J Agric Biol 1(3):155–163

    Google Scholar 

  • Saunders RJ, Paul NA, Hu Y, de Nys R (2012) Sustainable sources of biomass for bioremediation of heavy metals in waste water derived from coal-fired power generation. PLoS One 7(5):e36470

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schenk PM, Thomas-Hall SR, Stephens E, Marx UC, Mussgnug JH, Posten C, Kruse O, Hankamer B (2008) Second generation biofuels: high-efficiency microalgae for biodiesel production. Bioenergy Res 1(1):20–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shanab S, Essa A, Shalaby E (2012) Bioremoval capacity of three heavy metals by some microalgae species (Egyptian Isolates). Plant Signal Behav 7(3):392–399

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma YC, Singh B, Korstad J (2009) High yield and conversion of biodiesel from a nonedible feedstock (Pongamia pinnata). J Agric Food chem 58(1):242–247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheehan J, Dunahay T, Benemann J, Roessler P (1998) A look back at the US Department of Energy’s Aquatic Species Program: biodiesel from algae, vol 328. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh A, Nigam PS, Murphy JD (2011) Mechanism and challenges in commercialization of algal biofuels. Bioresour Technol 102(1):26–34

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Slade R, Bauen A (2013) Micro-algae cultivation for biofuels: cost, energy balance, environmental impacts and future prospects. Biomass Bioenergy 53:29–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spolaore P, Joannis-Cassan C, Duran E, Isambert A (2006) Commercial applications of microalgae. J Biosci Bioeng 101(2):87–96

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Terry KL, Raymond LP (1985) System design for the autotrophic production of microalgae. Enzyme Microb Technol 7(10):474–487

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Udom I, Zaribaf BH, Halfhide T, Gillie B, Dalrymple O, Zhang Q, Ergas SJ (2013) Harvesting microalgae grown on wastewater. Bioresour Technol 139:101–106

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ugwu C, Aoyagi H, Uchiyama H (2008) Photobioreactors for mass cultivation of algae. Bioresour Technol 99(10):4021–4028

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wagner L (2007) Biodiesel from algae oil. Analyst research report. FAO, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang B, Li Y, Wu N, Lan CQ (2008) CO2 bio-mitigation using microalgae. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 79(5):707–718

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wijffels RH, Barbosa MJ (2010) An outlook on microalgal biofuels. Science (Washington) 329(5993):796–799

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilde KL, Stauber JL, Markich SJ, Franklin NM, Brown PL (2006) The effect of pH on the uptake and toxicity of copper and zinc in a tropical freshwater alga (Chlorella sp.). Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 51(2):174–185

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Woertz I, Feffer A, Lundquist T, Nelson Y (2009) Algae grown on dairy and municipal wastewater for simultaneous nutrient removal and lipid production for biofuel feedstock. J Environ Eng 135(11):1115–1122

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu X, Ruan R, Du Z, Liu Y (2012) Current status and prospects of biodiesel production from microalgae. Energies 5(8):2667–2682

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xin L, Hong-ying H, Jia Y (2009) Lipid accumulation and nutrient removal properties of a newly isolated freshwater microalga, Scenedesmus sp. LX1, growing in secondary effluent. N Biotechnol 27(1):59–63

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Xin L, Hong-ying H, Ke G, Jia Y (2010) Growth and nutrient removal properties of a freshwater microalga Scenedesmus sp. LX1 under different kinds of nitrogen sources. Ecol Eng 36(4):379–381

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yadav P, Singh O, Singh R (2009) Palm fatty acid biodiesel: process optimization and study of reaction kinetics. J Oleo Sci 59(11):575–580

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou W, Hu B, Li Y, Min M, Mohr M, Du Z, Chen P, Ruan R (2012a) Mass cultivation of microalgae on animal wastewater: a sequential two-stage cultivation process for energy crop and omega-3-rich animal feed production. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 168:348–363

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou W, Li Y, Min M, Hu B, Zhang H, Ma X, Li L, Cheng Y, Chen P, Ruan R (2012b) Growing wastewater-born microalga Auxenochlorella protothecoides UMN280 on concentrated municipal wastewater for simultaneous nutrient removal and energy feedstock production. Appl Energy 98:433–440

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Bioenergy Research Center, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan

    Muhammad Aamer Mehmood

  2. Institute of Advanced Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, 43400, Malaysia

    Umer Rashid & Yun Hin Taufiq-Yap

  3. Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Environmental Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan

    Muhammad Ibrahim & Farhat Abbas

  4. Faculty of Science, Catalysis Science and Technology Research Center, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, 43400, Malaysia

    Yun Hin Taufiq-Yap

Authors
  1. Muhammad Aamer Mehmood
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Umer Rashid
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Muhammad Ibrahim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Farhat Abbas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yun Hin Taufiq-Yap
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Muhammad Aamer Mehmood .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia

    Khalid Rehman Hakeem

  2. Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia

    Mohammad Jawaid

  3. Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia

    Umer Rashid

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Mehmood, M.A., Rashid, U., Ibrahim, M., Abbas, F., Taufiq-Yap, Y.H. (2014). Algal Biomass Production Using Waste Water. In: Hakeem, K., Jawaid, M., Rashid, U. (eds) Biomass and Bioenergy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07641-6_18

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation