Cultivation of Chorella vulgaris Using Wastewater as Nutrient Source for Biodiesel Production

Cultivation of microalgae using wastewater as nutrient sources provides an alternative and sustainable solution for the production of biodiesel as renewable fuel. This is because wastewater contain high amount of nutrients that are essential for the growth of microalgae. Hence, in the present study, the potential of using domestic wastewater as nutrient source to cultivate Chorella vulgaris was investigated. With the utilization of domestic wastewater as nutrient source for the growth of Chorella vulgaris, it was found that the microalgae favoured to grow at the following condition: 20 mL amount of wastewater, initial pH of 3, and 30 mL initial amount of microalgae seed with 24 hours of continuous illumination. Then, the microalgae lipid was extracted with chemical solvent (Bligh & Dyer Method) and it was found that high lipid content of 32.7 % was embedded within microalgae cells. Besides, from the analysis of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profile, it can be concluded that the FAME produced from the transesterification of the Chorella vulgaris lipid is suitable for biodiesel production.