Life cycle assessment of fish oil substitute produced by microalgae using food waste

Fish oil has been used in conventional aquaculture for decades, despite the known links between increasing global demand fish and depletion of natural resources vital ecosystems (FAO, 2020, 2019). Alternative feed ingredients, including algae rich docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), therefore increasingly to substitute traditional oil. Heterotrophic cultivation bioreactors can be supported by a primary carbon feedstock recovered from food waste, solution that could reduce environmental impacts support transition towards circular systems. This study life cycle assessment quantify impact DHA produced heterotrophic Crypthecodinium cohnii, using short-chain carboxylic acids derived dark fermentation waste. The future potential was evaluated comparing Peruvian anchovy With respect warming, terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication land use, inferred -52 ton CO2eq, 3.5 SO2eq, -94 kg Peq, 2700 m2 eq, respectively per DHA. In comparison, -15 3.9 -97 Peq 3200 eq. Furthermore, showed lower climate compared canola linseed By Ecosystem damage as indicator ecosystem quality at endpoint level, important aspect biodiversity accounted for. Although method primarily accounts indirect effects on biodiversity, even when energy development, optimized production, increased biotic were considered via sensitivity analyses. As results suggest, holds promising sustainability within aquaculture, provided continued development optimization this emerging technology is enabled through active decision-making purposeful investments.