Biofuel Production from Water Cyanobacteria: A Review

Abstract

Water stands as the quintessential resource vital for sustaining life forms on our planet. However, its integrity is continually jeopardized by human, industrial, agricultural, and livestock activities, resulting in a spectrum of repercussions that are notably challenging to rectify. Among these ramifications, the proliferation of toxic cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, emerges as a particularly dire consequence. The prevalence of these cyanobacterial species, predominantly toxic in nature, not only disrupts aquatic ecosystems but also poses significant threats to human health due to their persistent and recalcitrant nature. Nevertheless, recent scientific inquiries have illuminated a potential avenue for repurposing toxic cyanobacteria as a viable biofuel source. The prevailing reliance on environmentally detrimental fossil fuels, constituting approximately 80% of the energy matrix, underscores an urgent imperative to explore alternative energy reservoirs. The depletion of fossil fuel reserves coupled with escalating environmental degradation has spurred concerted efforts within the scientific community towards identifying sustainable alternatives. This paradigm shift has propelled renewable energy sources, encompassing solar, wind, oceanic wave, hydroelectric, and biofuel technologies, to the forefront of contemporary discourse on energy sustainability. Of particular interest, cyanobacteria, recognized for their rapid proliferation in conductive environments, offer a promising prospect for biofuel production due to their innate ability to yield high thermal energy output when processed in suitable biomass contexts. Consequently, this study endeavors to elucidate the influence of cyanobacteria on the coagulation and flocculation processes employed in treating water extracted from reservoirs designated for potable use, while also scrutinizing its economic ramifications.