Steven Knapp

Waters
Environmental Chemistry
4/14/14

Utilization of Wastewater Treatment Facilities for the Cultivation of Green Algae as a

Resource for Sustainable Biofuel Production
Abstract:
Current fuel technology and production methods are detrimental to the
environment, harmful to human health, inefficient, and unsustainable. In an effort to
resolve these issues, attention from the scientific community has been directed
toward microalgae, specifically algae cultivated from wastewater. When managed in
controlled conditions, algae can generate larger biomass yields compared to
standard fuel-crops, making algae more suitable for biodiesel production. By
exploiting a niche in wastewater treatment, the costs of energy production could be
covered mostly by the wastewater treatment process, the algae could be
incorporated into the process, utilizing carbon dioxide produced from nearby
facilities, improving growth rate and reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions.
Algae can filter heavy metals along with excess nutrients such as Nitrogen and
Phosphorus out of the wastewater with high efficiency, eliminating the need for
chemical treatments and saving treatment facilities thousands of dollars in costs
while increasing the algal growth rate. Algae also provide various co-products which
can be utilized to help power the treatment facilities. Extraction of the fatty lipid
triacylglycerol can be induced through transesterificiation to produce high quality
biodiesel.

Introduction:
Humanity is currently living in the age of technology, people are always
plugged in, always on the move, and constantly have their devices attached to their
hip. This technology boom has sparked an exponential rise in economic and
scientific activity. Health standards in most nations are increasing every year and
the living conditions are also improving. This is creating a population explosion
unlike the planet has ever seen. Between this rise in population and the increased
use of technology, humanity is using up more energy than ever before, increasing
the carbon footprint every year. The majority of this energy is generated from the
burning of fossil fuels. The energy generated by these fossil fuels produces negative
byproducts often releasing heaving metals and carbon dioxide into the air, affecting
the planets atmosphere, vegetation, oceans, and human health. Not only are these
fossil fuels harming the planet, but they are limited in their availability, once they
are gone and used up thats it. With the rate the world population is growing,
energy consumption is expected to increase putting further pressure on
environmental factors in an effort to keep up with increasing demand. If human
civilization is to continue moving forward, efforts need to be made to establish a
renewable and sustainable form of energy production. It is estimated that in the
U.S. alone, renewable energy sources only contributed for 9% of total energy
production in 2012. (U.S. Energy 1). One alternative option to aid in solving this
energy crisis is the use of biofuels extracted from green algae. By utilizing
wastewater treatment facilities, green algae could be cultivated and converted into
a sustainable form of biofuel for minimal cost.
Body:

Some individuals walking through a parking lot may have noticed vehicles
with a flex fuel or eco-friendly insignia stamped on the side. These symbols often
mean that the vehicle incorporates some portion of biodiesel or bioethanol into their
fuel mixture. Most of the US population having only a general knowledge of
environmental issues such as pollution would assume that the incorporation of
these fuel alternatives into our vehicles would be good for the environment.
Unfortunately, while this fuel alternative is better for emissions, in terms of overall
environmental impact the development of these fuel alternatives are creating new
issues. The most prominent issue being the Food vs Fuel debate that has arisen as
a result of these so called second -generation fuel alternatives. These fuel
alternatives are derived from certain food and oil crops such as corn and soybean.
The increased use of these crops for energy production has created competition
between energy and food producers. Bioethanol from fuel crops such as corn
provide a cleaner and renewable form of fuel, the amount of land and resources
required to produce the necessary quantities needed to meet demand will drive
food prices up while reducing the amount of space available to grow crops for
human consumption, likely causing larger issues in less developed nations.
The idea of using green algae to produce biofuels has been around for some
time now, substantial evidence shows that oils extracted from these algae can be
converted into various biofuels such as biogas, biodiesel, bioethanol, and bio-crude.
In previous experiments have shown that algae grown under controlled conditions
can produce >20 times more oil per hectare than terrestrial oilseed crops such as
soy and canola (Park 1) making this resource far more efficient than plant based
biofuels if optimal conditions can be reached. The reason algae produced biofuel
has not been pushed was due to the increased amount of area and freshwater

resources needed for large scale production. Algae requires more water for growth
in comparison to fuel crops and large tracts of land would be needed for the
construction of growth ponds. The use of arable land would run algae production
into similar issues of Food vs Fuel production. With this, similar issues arise that
plague plant-based biofuel production such as food vs fuel competition, high input,
low profit margins, and the potential to use more energy producing these biofuels
than they would be saving. Yet, within all these issues a niche has been identified
which may open the door for green algae in the hectic world of biofuel production.
This niche involves utilizing wastewater management facilities as a
production site for green algae. The primary benefits of this niche is that there is
elimination of many of the environmental and economic pitfalls that are present
with fuel plants, such as the use of arable land which creates competition with food
crops, the lack of necessity for fertilizers and pesticides, decreased water use, and
lower costs. The algae is able to thrive in the harsh wastewater environment thanks
to their ability to absorb nutrients from the water, specifically Nitrogen and
Phosphorus. If algal biofuels became the new global standard, plant-based biofuels
would become obsolete and biomass production sites could return to food
production. The ability of algae to thrive in wastewater and areas that are
unsuitable for food plant production allows the algae to make efficient use of these
spaces, allowing for energy production without compromising land and water
resources. (Singh 2) The use of wastewater facilities also reduces the overall
footprint biofuel production creates as the algae could be produced and harvested
in already established facilities. Most of the used water turns into wastewater
polluting the environment and creating health hazards. If 50% (495 billion m) of
this consumed water is available for algae production, it could generate about 247

million tons of algal biomass and about 37 million tons of oil. (Singh 2) The ability
to use, reuse, or share already developed land reduces the overall cost needed to
convert the algae to usable biofuel. The manufacturing of biofuel produced in these
locations would also end the Food vs Fuel debate as large tracts of land which
would have otherwise been needed to maintain high production standards would
not need to be purchased. The amount of space available will also keep growing and
the flow of nutrient will remain continuous as people continually create waste and
the population is ever increasing. As larger wastewater facilities are constructed to
keep up with the increasing flow due to larger populations there is potential for
greater algae production further leading to increased biofuel production. In this
sense, there is a correlation between the amount of waste produced and the
amount of energy produced. This system helps to generate energy from resources
that would otherwise be wasted, turning a net environmental benefit. (Park 36)
Consideration of this factor makes application of this technology a hopeful solution
for future energy needs since it is able to scale with human populations.
Various discussions have been held on what is the most efficient way extract
the components needed for biofuel from these algae. A primary focus in this area of
study is to use oil extracted from the algae to produce biodiesel in an effort to
replace petroleum fuels. The method showing the most promising results for biofuel
production is a process involving the extraction of triacylglycerol lipids from the
green algae and transesterification of the lipid molecules into usable biodiesel.
(Pittman 2) Transesterification is the process of converting fatty acids or oils into
biodiesel by mixing the ester molecules contained within fatty acids with an alcohol
(usually methanol) in the presence of a catalyst to produce glycerin and methyl
ether, or biodiesel. (Goncalves 2) The quality of biodiesel produced from this

process is subjected to the species of green algae that was harvested and the
various environmental conditions the algae was grown in. It is known that certain
species have predispositions to certain growth rates, lipid content, nutrient uptake,
photosynthetic efficiency, and environmental hardiness. These factors will have to
be managed if optimal production of biofuel is to be established. Several studies
have been done to help identify species of algae most suitable for biofuel
production. Some such species are contained in the genus Chlorella, they are
known for their great potential for high-quality biofuel production as they can grow
in a variety of environmental conditions, use different carbon sources, achieve high
bio-mass and lipid content (up to 55% of cellular dwt) with adequate fatty acid
composition. (Goncalves 2) Having a species that can flourish in a variety of
conditions will be important for the future of this energy technology as the
environmental conditions will vary by location, whether it be competitive
microorganisms, water quality, water pH, temperature, sunlight, nutrient content,
available oxygen, and available carbon dioxide. Similar to plant production, some of
these factors can be manipulated to enhance algae growth and lipid production.
Observations have shown that under certain natural environmental stressors, such
as Phosphorus and Nitrogen limitations, algae will increase lipid production, but
growth rates will slow. The still debate on which method will generate higher quality
biodiesel, growing fewer algae with a higher lipid content or more algae with a lower
lipid content. Interest in this area has sparked study in the metabolic cycle of algal
cells as scientists work to define the genetic mechanisms which may create these
limitations and if they can be altered to boost yields.
There are various benefits to this unique niche that reach beyond the
primary benefit of sustainable energy production. Many researchers believe that the

true potential in cultivating green algae stems not only from the primary production
of biodiesel, but of the many co-products and secondary services this process can
provide. A comparative study to determine how well algal processes could remove
Phosphorus from wastewater in comparison to standard chemical treatments found
that algal processes performed just as good as the general use chemical. The
effectiveness of the algal filtration could save facilities thousands of dollars in costs
which would have been attributed to the purchase and spread of chemical
treatments. Carbon dioxide is a necessary component in the metabolic cycle of algal
cells, giving algal biofuels the potential to make use of another industrial waste
product. One suggestion is to incorporate flue gases into wastewater treatment
processes, pumping carbon dioxide into the wastewater in high rate algal ponds
which will be absorbed by the algae, increasing growth rate and reducing
atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions. Along with having high oil content and
producing large concentrations of lipids, green algae also produce hydrogen,
ethanol, and methane as metabolic byproducts from fermentation, anaerobic
digestion, and photolysis. (Beer 3) If these compounds can be captured during the
growth process before the algae is harvested, these compounds could be converted
into usable energy stores which could be used to power operations, similar to how
landfills produce electricity from methane collected on site.
The greatest hurdle facing the biofuel through wastewater algal system is the
issue of developing a cost effective method of harvesting. Several methods exist for
separating the algal biomass from the wastewater cultivation, these include
gravitational settling, flocculation, bio-flocculation, and centrifugation. Gravitational
settling occurs naturally but is not very efficient as a lot of time is required for the
small particles to settle to the bottom, and the algal bodies remain so small that

many avoid the harvesting process. One way to prevent this is to induce bioflocculation within the algal population. Bio-flocculation can cause the algal biomass
to aggregate and group together in clusters, allowing the algal biomass to be more
easily harvested. Further research is needed in this area, but some scientists
suggest that there may already be some environmental mechanisms which can
regulate this process, such as Oxygen deprivation or carbon limitation. (Pittman 5)
As flocculation occurs, the clusters will become heavier as more and more cells
group together, causing these clusters to sink, increasing the rate of gravitational
settling. One idea on a cost effective way to harvest the algae which would work
well in the wastewater environment is a method which would immobilize the algae
biomass immediately before and during cultivation making them far easier to
gather. Still, centrifugation remains the best method for harvesting, gathering
roughly 95% or more of algal biomass within a short period of time in comparison to
gravitation settling. (Pittman 5)
Conclusion:
By producing an efficient biofuel, helping reduce the environmental impact of
other technologies, freeing up arable land for food production, and reducing
production costs, the use of green algae and wastewater facilities to produce
biodiesel is a step forward in sustainable resources and overall energy
independence. The simplicity of many of the technologies used in the overall
process makes this process easily replicable in less developed regions where access
to elaborate equipment might not be feasible. Further research is needed to
optimize the growth and conversion processes so that sustainable biofuels can
compete against fossil fuel sources. Areas such as optimal species designation,
optimal environmental conditions, genetic engineering of algal metabolic systems

and other areas should be further explored. There is great potential in this
technology, and the ability to generate clean energy from human waste would be
profoundly beneficial for both mankind and the environment.

Works Cited
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biofuel production using wastewater resources. Bioresource Technol 1(102): 17-25.
Park JBK, Craggs RJ, Shilton AN. 2011. Wastewater treatment high rate algal
pons for biofuel production. Bioresource Technol 1(102): 35-42.
Singh A, Nigam PS, Murphy JD. 2011. Renewable fuels from algae: an answer
to debatable land based fuels. Bioresource Technol 1(102): 10-16.
Goncalves EC, Johnson JV, Rathinasabapathi B. 2013. Conversion of
membrane lipid acyl groups to triacylglycerol and formation of lipid bodies upon
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