Calculation of biomass capacity of Algae based on their elemental composition

Abstract The limiting and critical factors for algae growth are culture medium, pH, light, aeration, temperature, etc. Nutrients provided in right proportions are essential to grow and harvest a high density algal biomass or to get a high yield of the desired end product. Every element in the growth medium plays a significant role in the production of single algal cell. The culture medium includes major and minor nutrients that are incorporated in to the growing biomass. In this study the elemental composition of the media and algae were presented and compared for four species. Nutrient requirement at the element level required to grow a unit biomass is developed and presented.