Present study shows that microalgae C.
minutissima has potential to treat wastewater nutrients
nitrogen and phosphorus effectively with percentage
removal 99.19% and 96% respectively. N/P
ratio drops from 10.41 to 2.49, showing a severe
phosphorus limitation for algal growth. This suggests
that both N/P ratios and the absolute levels of N and P
must be considered in evaluating the effects of
nutrient compositions on algal growth. The oil content
of produced algae is reduced (4% of total dry
biomass) from that already reported5 (57%),
suggesting that nitrogen limitation is an important
operational variable for high oil yield. Further
optimization of nitrogen concentration in media
composition is necessary for achieving a high
TFA yield. It is low-cost and easy to manipulate
compared to other factors influencing intracellular
lipid formation. The extracted oil mainly consists
of short chain fatty acids (C-16:0, C-18:1, C-18:2,
C-18:3) which is an ideal combination for
efficient biodiesel. So, it is vital to choose C.
minutissima species as materials of biodiesel
production. Analysis of monitoring transesterification
reaction has shown that maximum fatty acid methyl
ester (FAMEs) concentration converted from free
fatty acids of oil is found in 1-2 h at 65 °C and 1%
H2SO4. Integrated algal harvesting in sewage
wastewater for biodiesel feedstock appears to be a
sustainable solution for environment and energy
challenges.