Indian researchers believe toxic algal blooms could feed freshwater algae for biofuels

In India, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee have determined that toxic algal blooms can be a cheap, abundant nutrient source for cultivating Chlorella pyrenoidosa, a freshwater algae that can be used as a biodiesel feedstock. Pre-treatments such as acid/alkali and autoclave/microwave were tested while the acid autoclave hydrolysis method was found to have the best results. The study showed lipid production increased more than 42%. Using toxic algal blooms to grow biofuel feedstock could help to reduce their negative impacts on fish and other waterborne populations.