SUSTAINABLE BIOFUEL PRODUCTION FROM ESTUARINE DIATOMS
Open Access
- 18 July 2020
- journal article
- Published by Maya Global Education Society in Green Chemistry & Technology Letters
- Vol. 6 (2), 01-17
- https://doi.org/10.18510/gctl.2020.621
Abstract
Purpose of the study: Microalgae with better carbon sequestration potential, higher biomass, and lipid productivity in comparison to terrestrial counterparts is emerging as a viable sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Diatoms, a subgroup of a broader category of microalgae are well-known for their role as a bio-indicator in palaeo-climatological studies across historical timelines. Understanding ecology, community structure, and habitat preference of diatoms are prerequisites for prioritizing diatom strains towards sustainable biofuel production along with value-added product extraction. Method: Selection of appropriate strains, economically viable harvesting and environmentally sound transesterification are the challenges faced in microalgal industry. The present study focusses on understanding the variability in benthic diatom community assemblages across seasons and its affinity to different substrata at fixed sampling locations in an estuarine eco-system through field sampling for twelve months covering all seasons. Main Findings: The results highlight the tolerance and resilience in select diatom strains in fluctuating water qualities and seasonal variations, the insights much needed during mass cultivation under open environments. Statistical data analyses revealed distinct demarcation between sensitive and tolerant species with selective habitat preferences and resilience to fluctuating environmental conditions. Variations of benthic diatom community structure across various substrata highlights substratum affinity of diatom strains. From the inferences derived through field studies, mixed consortia of diatoms were developed, monitored, and optimized for higher biomass and lipid productivity under controlled laboratory conditions. Application of the Study: The results highlight the prospects of phyco-prospecting of indigenously grown diatom strains for sustainable biofuel production.Keywords
This publication has 40 references indexed in Scilit:
- Emissions from India's transport sector: Statewise synthesisAtmospheric Environment, 2009
- Marine Benthic Diatoms Contain Compounds Able to Induce Leukemia Cell Death and Modulate Blood Platelet ActivityMarine Drugs, 2009
- Milking Diatoms for Sustainable Energy: Biochemical Engineering versus Gasoline-Secreting Diatom Solar PanelsIndustrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2009
- The life of diatoms in the world's oceansNature, 2009
- Monsoonal impact on planktonic standing stock and abundance in a tropical estuary (Cochin backwaters – India)Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 2007
- Production and dissolution of biogenic silica in the ocean: Revised global estimates, comparison with regional data and relationship to biogenic sedimentationGlobal Biogeochemical Cycles, 1995
- The use of diatoms to assess past and present water qualityAustralian Journal of Ecology, 1995
- THE HETEROTROPHIC CAPABILITIES OF CYCLOTELLA MENEGHINIANA1Journal of Phycology, 1973
- ALGAL POPULATIONS IN ARCTIC SEA ICE: AN INVESTIGATION OF HETEROTROPHY1,2Limnology and Oceanography, 1972
- AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION OF LITTORAL MARINE DIATOMS1Limnology and Oceanography, 1963