Biotechnological applications of microalgae: biodiesel and value added products

251 Pages·2013·15.35 MB·English

by  F Bux

Clean TeChnology B
u
Biotechnological x

Applications

B
of Microalgae i
o

t
e
Biodiesel and c
h
Value-Added Products
n
o
Microalgae are an invaluable biomass source with potential uses that could l
o
lead to environmental and economic benefits for society. Biotechnological
g
Applications of Microalgae: Biodiesel and Value-Added Products
i
presents the latest developments and recent research trends with a c
a
focus on potential biotechnologically related uses of microalgae. It gives
l
an analysis of microalgal biology, ecology, biotechnology, and biofuel
A
production capacity as well as a thorough discussion of the value-added
p
products that can be generated from diverse microalgae.
p
Biotechnological
The book provides a detailed discussion of microalgal strain selection l
i
for biodiesel production, a key factor in successful microalgal cultivation c
and generation of desired biofuel products. It also describes microalagal a
enumeration methods, harvesting and dewatering techniques, and the t
i Applications
design, and the pros and cons, of the two most common methods for o
cultivation—open raceway ponds and photobioreactors. Chapters cover n
lipid extraction and identification, chemical and biological methods for s

transesterification of microalgal lipids, and procedures involved in o of Microalgae
life cycle analysis of microalgae. They also examine the importance f

of microalgal cultivation for climate change abatement through CO
M
2
sequestration and microalgae involvement in phycoremediation of domestic
i
and industrial wastewaters. c Biodiesel and

r
The book concludes with a general discussion of microalgal biotechnology o Value-Added Products
and its potential as a modern “green gold rush.” The final chapter provides a
an overview of advanced techniques such as genetic engineering of l
g
microalgae to increase lipid yield. This book provides a one-stop
a
benchmark reference on microalgal biotechnology, considering all aspects,
e
from microalgal screening to production of biofuels and other value-
added products.
K15038
ISBN: 978-1-4665-1529-1 Edited by
90000
Faizal Bux
9 781466 515291
K15038_Cover_mech.indd All Pages 4/22/13 1:28 PM

Biotechnological
Applications
of Microalgae
Biodiesel and
Value-Added Products

Biotechnological
Applications
of Microalgae
Biodiesel and
Value-Added Products
Edited by
Faizal Bux
Boca Raton London New York
CRC Press is an imprint of the
Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
CRC Press
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© 2013 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
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Version Date: 20130409
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4665-1530-7 (eBook - PDF)
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Contents
Preface......................................................................................................................vii
Acknowledgments .....................................................................................................ix
About the Editor ........................................................................................................xi
Contributors ...........................................................................................................xiii
Chapter 1 Introduction ..........................................................................................1
Taurai Mutanda
Chapter 2 The Biology of Microalgae ..................................................................7
Ranganathan Rajkumar and Zahira Yaakob
Chapter 3 Strain Selection for Biodiesel Production ..........................................17
Subburamu Karthikeyan
Chapter 4 Enumeration of Microalgal Cells .......................................................45
Taurai Mutanda and Faizal Bux
Chapter 5 Microalgal Cultivation Reactor Systems ............................................51
Melinda J. Griffiths
Chapter 6 Harvesting of Microalgal Biomass .....................................................77
Manjinder Singh, Rekha Shukla, and Keshav Das
Chapter 7 Lipid Identification and Extraction Techniques .................................89
Desikan Ramesh
Chapter 8 Synthesis of Biodiesel/Bio-Oil from Microalgae ...............................99
Bhaskar Singh, Yun Liu, and Yogesh C. Sharma
v
vi Contents
Chapter 9 Analysis of Microalgal Biorefineries for Bioenergy from an
Environmental and Economic Perspective Focus on Algal
Biodiesel ...........................................................................................113
Susan T.L. Harrison, Christine Richardson,
and Melinda J. Griffiths
Chapter 10 Value-Added Products from Microalgae..........................................137
Terisha Naidoo, Nodumo Zulu, Dheepak Maharajh,
and Rajesh Lalloo
Chapter 11 Algae-Mediated Carbon Dioxide Sequestration for Climate
Change Mitigation and Conversion to Value-Added Products ........161
Ajam Y. Shekh, Kannan Krishnamurthi, Raju R. Yadav,
Sivanesan S. Devi, Tapan Chakrabarti, Sandeep N. Mudliar,
Vikas S. Chauhan, Ravi Sarada, and Sanniyasi Elumalai
Chapter 12 Phycoremediation by High-Rate Algal Ponds (HRAPs) ..................179
Ismail Rawat, Ramanathan Ranjith Kumar, and Faizal Bux
Chapter 13 Microalgal Biotechnology: Today’s (Green) Gold Rush ..................201
Ravi V. Durvasula, Durvasula V. Subba Rao, and Vadrevu S. Rao
Preface
Over the decades, much of the literature has focused on the biological and
ecological aspects of algae found in freshwater, marine, and brackish environ-
ments. These organisms are also known to inhabit various other environments
on Earth. More recently, there has been a substantial shift toward the concept of
sustainable development and the “green economy” with emphasis on exploiting
biological systems for the benefit of mankind. This underpins the fundamentals of
the field of biotechnology, which has revolutionized various fields including agri-
culture, food, pharmaceutical and medical sciences, environmental sciences, and
industrial feedstock, thus positively impacting most spheres of human endeavor.
Algae—but more specifically, microalgae—have been associated with problem-
atic events such as algal blooms caused by eutrophication of aquatic environments,
and in some cases the toxins produced have serious health impacts on the aquatic
environment, plants, animals, and humans. However, these events are largely due
to human activities resulting in the proliferation of nutrients in aquatic environ-
ments. The significance of algae cannot be underestimated as they contribute
approximately 40% of the oxygen in the atmosphere, are the original source of
fossil fuels, and are the primary producers in the oceans. Therefore, there is poten-
tial for exploitation of this invaluable biomass source that could lead to definite
environmental and economic benefits for man.
Therefore, the present book attempts to encompass the latest developments and
recent research thrust and trends focusing specifically on the potential biotechno-
logical application of microalgae. Strain selection, growth characteristics, large-
scale culturing, and biomass harvesting have been discussed in detail and critically
evaluated. With regard to the benefits of using algal technology, the major areas of
progress have been in the fields of biodiesel production using microalgae, screening
and production of high-value products from algae, and evaluating carbon dioxide
sequestration from flue gas as a climate change mitigation strategy. The latter areas
of research are clearly central to a sustainable development approach that is cur-
rently attracting global attention. Compared to conventional crops, biodiesel from
microalgae has shown superior potential in terms of yields and using wastewater
as a substrate. However, critical evaluation of the technology has signaled some
limitations with regard to large-scale biomass processing, specifically with regard
to harvesting and oil extraction. Globally, much attention is currently focused on
overcoming these hurdles to improve the techno-economics and make algal bio-
diesel a fuel for tomorrow. Findings have shown that a biorefinery approach will
certainly aid in improving the economics and large-scale application of the tech-
nology. Producing high-value products (health care products, pigments, etc.) spe-
cifically using microalgae is a large income-generating industry in many parts of
the world, with potential for substantial growth. In addition, algal technology can
be used as a cheaper option for the treatment of wastewater streams.
vii
viii Preface
Therefore, this book will serve as an excellent reference for researchers and prac-
titioners, providing a comprehensive outline of the most recent developments and
advances in the field of biotechnological applications of microalgae.
I would like to thank all the authors for their contributions to this book.
Professor Faizal Bux
Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology
Durban University of Technology