Abstract

Environmental Pollutants such as heavy metals poised serious threat to biological systems. Heavy metals which could be natural or anthropogenic sourced are non-degradable pollutants and must be eliminated or reduced to certain quantity that is analytically presumed to be a safe limit before discharging into the environment to avoid injurious effects on biological systems. This review work showed the abilities of microalgae to biologically remove heavy metals from waste water through the process known as ‘Phycoremediation’. Phycoremediation of heavy metals with the help of microalgae takes place in two stages: Biosorption and Bioaccumulation. Microalgae such as Nannochloropsis oculata, Scenedesmus sp, Scenedesmus obtusus, Gracilaria corticata, Sarcodia suidae and Spirulina sp has been proven to phycoremediate; Pb, Cr, Hg, As, Cd, and Cu respectively. Therefore, this review work has shown that the microalgae are efficient biological vectors for heavy metal uptake.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.