The two greatest challenges facing the world in the 21st
century are environmental degradation and sustainable energy. Global warming due
to increased greenhouse gases, along with widespread water pollution with
nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphate) and other contaminants are major
environmental concerns. Conventional techniques for pollution control are
typically very expensive, have high energy consumption, and generate large
quantities of sludge which requires disposal. Production and consumption of
fossil fuels are major causes of air and water pollutions and is nonsustainable
to boot. There is no existing technology that can economically attend to both
needs.
Researchers at Arizona State University have developed an
alternative approach that can effectively remove nutrients from wastestreams
while simultaneously produce high oil-containing fuel feedstock. This technology
uses selected species/strains of microalgae (in particular Pseudochlorococcum
spp.) grown in innovative photobioreactors to rapidly remove nutrients from
wastewater and power plant flue gases and convert them into value-added
compounds stored in algal biomass. The biomass can then be used as feedstock for
production of liquid biofuel and/or fine chemicals, used as animal feed or
organic fertilizer, etc.
This algae-based approach is quite unique and effective in
performing these dual functions with high efficiency.
Potential Applications
- Algae-based renewable biomass/energy production
- Microalgal carbon sequestration from fossil fuel-fired
power plants
- Wastewater treatment
- Production of algae-based nutraceuticals and
pharmaceuticals
- Production of algae-derived fine chemicals including
polysaccharides for cosmetics
- Production of algae for organic fertilizers and soil
amendments
Benefits and Advantages
- Not only removes nutrients from wastestreams, but also
recycles them in form of renewable biomass and fine chemicals
- Requires no added nitrate and/or ammonia
- Produces minimal sludge
- Produces 20 - 40 times more fuel feedstock per land area
compared to conventional oil crop production
- Can be cultured in arid and semi-arid environments, so no
competition with oilseed plants for limited agricultural land
Download Original PDF
For more information about the inventor(s) and their
research, please see
Dr.
Sommerfield's departmental webpage
Dr. Hu's
departmental webpage
