Bioprospecting Used Cooking Oil for Production of Bio-Diesel in Ethiope East nexus, Delta State

The growing population and waste from fossil fuels demand renewable, environmentally sustainable energy resources like biodiesel derived from used cooking oil (UCO), a promising alternative to fossil fuels. This study explores the viability of UCO as a potential raw material for biodiesel production in Ethiope East nexus, Delta State, Nigeria, a region with substantial UCO generation from domestic and commercial food operations.UCO samples were collected from restaurants, fast-food outlets, and households in Isiokolo, Eku, Okpara, and, Abraka. Samples were visually, filtered, heated, chemically pretreated, and transesterified using methanol and sodium hydroxide. Physicochemical analyses followed ASTM and AOAC standards. Data were analyzed using ANOVA at a 95% confidence level.Visual analysis showed that restaurant UCO was dark and viscous, fast-food UCO was slightly degraded, and household UCO was light and clear. Biodiesel yields were highest from household UCO (91.0%), followed by fast-food (88.0%) and restaurant UCO (85.0%), indicating that the quantity of produced biodiesel depends on the conversion state of start material. All biodiesel samples met ASTM D6751 specifications: viscosities ranged from 4.3–4.8 mm²/s; flash points from 160–170 °C; densities from 0.86–0.88 g/cm³; and acid values below 0.5 mg KOH/g. Heating values exceeded the minimum threshold (35 MJ/kg), peaking at 40.2 MJ/kg for household-derived biodiesel. Household UCO in Ethiope East nexus is a viable feedstock for sustainable biodiesel production, yielding high quantities and efficient fuel properties, conforming to international quality standards.