Microalgae Potentials for Phycoremediation with Paint Effluent of Electroplating Industry

Abstract

Water pollution is a one of the major environmental issue that the world is facing nowadays. The untreated effluent as well as the chemically treated effluent both results in pollutions. These toxic contaminants directly and indirectly affect the flora and fauna of the ecosystem. The solution for such a drastic environmental issue lies within the cells of one such cosmopolitan plant group namely “Algae”. These are certain algal species which have the inhibit capacity to utilize some of the most threatening environmental contaminants such as nitrogenous compounds, ammonia, phosphates and some of the metal ions so on. Hence, treating the effluent with algae would be an eco-friendly method to reduce pollution. Phycoremediation of effluent using algae is a novel green-technique when applied to aqueous pollution. The present investigation included the preliminary screening of microalgae potentials for their tolerance and growth in paint effluent from an electroplating industry which include the native microalgae isolated from the effluent treatment plant (ETP). The microalgae, such as Chlamydomonas pertusa, Dactylococcopsis raphioides and Chlorococcum humicolo were selected and employed in the treatment of electroplating paint effluent an individually and also as mixed algal group. The physico-chemical parameters were analyzed. The individual culture and the mixed algal culture both could effectively reduce TDS (Total Dissolved Solid), TSS (Total Suspended Solid), free ammonia, calcium, sodium, nitrate and phosphate. Chlorococcum humicolo had a significant remedial level of Turbidity (20.51%), Calcium (95.76%), Sodium (8.33%), Free ammonia (62.96%), Phosphate (71.29%) and Total Kjeldhal Nitrogen (48.23%) treated with paint effluent of electroplating industry among the microalgae. Thus, Chlorococcum humicolo could be selected for further field pilot scaling up study. Phycoremediation is a cost-effective, efficient and a sustainable technology for future clean earth.