The effects of nutrient stress on marine microalgae for enhancing the biodiesel production

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of nutrient stress such as nitrogen and phosphorus on the growth rate of green algae, Chlorella sp. and the mechanism secreted to survive during the depletion of nutrients. The sample was tested with several vital parameters, suppressed Total Nitrogen (TN) and Total Phosphorus (TP). A process known as acclimatization was carried out to ensure that the algae can adapt to a new environment which was repeated 2 times, each taking about 2 weeks. The active compounds in the samples were measured using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrophotometry. The experiments showed that the control microalgae secreted hexadecanoic acid and methyl stearate while nitrogen suppressed microalgae secreted Undecanoic acid, 10-methyl- and methyl ester. Phosphorus limited microalgae secreted 1,3-Propanediamine, N-(2-aminoethyl)- due to suppress of nutrients. This experiment should be tested in several study areas in Mexico and outside Mexico to compare the productivity of green algae and the main factors that contribute to the eutrophication problem.