Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of EPA and DHA Production from Microalgae and Farmed Fish

The present study aims at comparing the life cycle environmental impacts of polyunsaturated fatty acids production (PUFA) from microalgae and farmed fish. PUFA production from microalgae cultivated via heterotrophy and photoautotrophy was assessed and compared. The primary energy demand (PED) and environmental impacts (EI) of PUFA production from microalgae via heterotrophy were significantly lower compared to PUFA produced via photoautotrophy. Furthermore, PED and EI of PUFA production from fish farmed in marine net pens were assessed. The results indicated that the PED and EI of PUFA production from farmed fish are higher than that produced from microalgae cultivated via heterotrophy. Therefore, the results suggest that PUFA produced from microalgae via heterotrophy could substitute fish oil from an environmental perspective. Furthermore, life cycle analysis results indicate that PUFA derived from microalgae could potentially replace fish oil in the fish feed, thus reducing the pressure on oceans.

Automated summary

This study compared the environmental impacts of PUFA production from microalgae and farmed fish, finding that PUFA produced from microalgae via heterotrophy had significantly lower PED and EI compared to PUFA produced via photoautotrophy. Additionally, the PED and EI of PUFA production from farmed fish were higher than that produced from microalgae cultivated via heterotrophy, suggesting that microalgae-derived PUFA could potentially replace fish oil in fish feed and reduce pressure on oceans.