Abstract

Energy is crucial for life and the issues related to fossil fuels (coal, gas and mineral oils) like limited availability, increasing prices, etc., have necessitated the need for some alternative energy sources. Eichhornia crassipes is known as widespread aquatic weed and a well known heavy metal hyperaccumulator. Its leaves biomass reported to have biochemical profile to be utilized for bioenergy generation. Therefore, the present study was conducted at the Institute campus during 2017–2020 with an aim to materialize the prolific growth of this aquatic weed to generate bioenergy sources such as Biodiesel from heavy metal contaminated water, thus proposing a strategy of its control through utilization. GC-MS screening of E. crassipes leaves extract showed the presence of methyl esters such as 8-Octadecenoic acid; 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z, Z)-Hexadecanoic acid. Lower TL content (∼16%) was observed in E. crassipes leaves biomass raised at T2 culture (4 ppm Pb) as compared to T1 culture (1 ppm Pb). Characterization of the produced biodiesel using FTIR, confirmed the presence of the ester group. The FA analysis of esterified lipid showed the presence of C16:0, C18:1 and C18:3, which are known to be the common FAs present in biodiesel. The findings of the present study could provide a promising way of utilizing E. crassipes growing in wastewater contaminated with a lower concentration of heavy metal (lead) for biodiesel production.