BIODIESEL FROM MICROALGAS OBTAINED fertilized WITH URINE

In the Professional Interdisciplinary Biotechnology Unit (UPIBI) of (IPN) National Polytechnic Institute, Professor Gilberto Torres Luis Bustillos, in collaboration with Dr. Luis Fernández Linares, develop a research culture photosynthetic microalgae for biodiesel production and other value-added products.

The investigation is in response to increased demand for alternative energy sources, which increased significantly because of the population growth and the difficulty of access to fossil fuel deposits.

In response, Professor Torres Bustillos said that biodiesel production is from oils derived from algae. "The process is quick and simple. Once harvested, they are separated from the aqueous medium through a type of gum and chitosan found in the shell of the shrimp. Then is subjected to a drying technique and lipid extraction. "

Indicated that have developed scans for the appropriate for the extraction of biomass moment from which lipid, which when processed in combination with alcohol to form an ester and then the biodiesel is obtained, composed are extracted which is similar the extracted gas.

To harvest microalgae requires CO2, sunlight and a series of salts, the amount is its origin, whether they are fresh or salt water. The mineral salts are obtained from human urine, implementing by the polytechnic lecturer.

"Currently urine begins to separate from the wastewater, known as dry bath. It is used in the case of men, where the urinals do not use water in order to recover and prevent excretion through a treatment system, "he said.

Human urine is a rich source of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and other salts. Use as fertilizer after undergoing treatment in hydroponics sterilized emerged a few years ago. The proposal is, therefore, direct it to solve problems of ecological and economic.

"Today at school we have a building that works with dry toilet system from which we get the urine, sterilized and sent for analysis to know the levels and type of salts containing" added Gilberto Torres.

The speed of growth of the marine plant is around 15 days, the doubling time of two days, which makes rapid production and sufficient. It is likely that within three to five years can be harvested on an industrial level.

There biodiesel productions to form sugars or require a carbon source to develop, but the algae are photosynthetic (capture light energy converted into chemical energy and produce organic matter), use CO2 and light to produce sugars that become biomass and subsequently lipid compound necessary for the production of energy and which can be obtained between 30 and 70 percent.

The polytechnic lecturer stated that the difficulty in the case of the development of naturally occurring energy is that, although you can get any oil from seeds such as canola, corn and sunflower, among others, generates a significant competition with food for that reason is harvesting microalgae a comprehensive alternative sustainability of total use, low cost and does not affect the need for human consumption.

He noted that to reap the seeds he needs large areas for cultivation, in contrast to marine plant that requires considerably less space and does not require arable land, but a kind of ponds where algae occurs without competing with demand in crop any other vegetable.

Fuel production from this plant has not yet been exploited by any company in the world and only two studies have been developed on the subject in the United States and Spain, even without conclusive results.

"The generated diesel oil is becoming more difficult to obtain, due to declining oil reserves and costly treatment required, which has generated an increase in all originate petroleum products, while producing energy account with the only disadvantage of not having the attention of the producers of traditional energy marine plant, "said the professor.

He stressed that Tuxtla Gutiérrez and Tapachula, Chiapas, have plants producing biodiesel, which obtained from residual oils from the fish industry and are subsidized by the state government, but work to ten percent of its capacity due to lack of raw materials.

Therefore, said it is essential to develop targeted offers to use renewable energy strategies that consider economic and environmental which take advantage of existing biodiversity in Mexico. "