Heavy metal remediation from wastewater using microalgae: Recent advances and future trends

• Main Authors: Priya, A. K., A. Jalil, A., Vadivel, Sethumathavan, Dutta, Kingshuk, Rajendran, Saravanan, Fujii, Manabu, Matias, Soto-Moscoso
• Format: Article
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 2022
• Subjects: TP Chemical technology
• Online Access: http://eprints.utm.my/103181/; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135375

Microalgae-based wastewater treatment has previously been carried out in huge waste stabilization ponds. Microalgae, which can absorb carbon dioxide while reusing nutrients from sewage, has recently emerged as a new trend in the wastewater treatment business. Microalgae farming is thought to be a potential match for the modern world's energy strategy, which emphasizes low-cost and environmentally benign alternatives. Microalgae are being used to treat wastewater and make useful products. Microalgae, for example, is a promising renewable resource for producing biomass from wastewater nutrients because of its quick growth rate, short life span, and high carbon dioxide utilization efficacy. Microalgae-based bioremediation has grown in importance in the treatment of numerous types of wastewater in recent years. This solar-powered wastewater treatment technology has huge potential. However, there are still issues to be resolved in terms of land requirements, as well as the process's ecological feasibility and long-term viability, before these systems can be widely adopted. Due to cost and the need for a faultless downstream process, it is difficult to deploy this technology on a large scale. Other recent breakthroughs in wastewater microalgae farming have been investigated, such as how varied pressures affect microalgae growth and quality, as well as the number of high-value components produced. In this review, the future of this biotechnology has also been examined.