Feasibility Study of Micro-algae Biodiesel from Surface Mine Ponds

Often, science classroom experiences lack relevance to students. Student surveys have often indicated that this lack of valid material can result in lower achievement. Students may find laboratory experiments boring because they aren’t really experiments but repeated exercises to teach concepts more efficiently. Also, students often fail to attach importance to materials or activities because they wonder about the purpose and applicability to their lives and even community. I propose a feasibility study to explore the possibility of harvesting algae from surface mine ponds previously used to assist in collecting run-off from mining operations. This will expose students to real and relevant activities that have the potential to impact their area. The ease of growing microalgae is widely known, as well as the relatively high percentages of lipids. Basically, it only requires water, sunlight, and CO2, to produce algae and, in addition to being a source of biodiesel, algae also consume CO2, and after the lipids are extracted, the remaining biomass can be utilized as feed stock for animals. Microalgae can double its population in as little as 24 hours with adequate sunlight. Adding nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus will also speed up the process. An excellent source of these two elements in animal or even human waste. Sewage companies already transport human waste to mines for safe disposal by evaporation. There may be a possibility of utilizing this practice as well to increase the production rate of algae. Since the creation of algae usually takes place in the top four inches of water, the depth of the ponds will be adequate. We will collect several samples from area sediment ponds and attempt to grow algae in them under conditions similar to those at the mined area.