Ecological, Economical and Life Cycle Assessment of Algae and Its Biofuel

In this communication the diverse potential of various algal species is analysed in terms of ecological, economical and bioenergy production. As the available methods of pollution remediation and fertilizers are high in cost and are not friendly for the environment. The biochemical constituents of algae like protein, carbohydrates and lipids have been used in different industries of food, cosmetics and medicines. Algal protein is high in demands over the world due to its high nutrient value and organically produced nature. The algal biomass contains up to 50% oil contents in the form of triglycerides and can be easily converted to alkyl esters which may become good substitutes for petrochemical diesel. Due to the first organisms of food chain in aquatic ecosystems, algae have great ecological importance. Algae have also been found suitable for the remediation of contaminants (heavy metals, pesticides, dyes, etc.) from the polluted water bodies and this method is popularized as phycoremediation. The lipid extracted from algae has enormous potential to produce biodiesel which may become an important alternative to fossil fuels.