Sustainable Utilization of Marine Algae Biomass for Environmental Bioremediation

Abstract

The rapid development of anthropogenic activities has a negative impact on the environment, due to the accumulation of harmful heavy metal ions pollutants. Biosorption on low-cost materials has been intensively studied in the last years, because they offer an efficient and cost-effective alternative to the conventional methods used for the environment decontamination. Thus, numerous utilizations of marine algae biomass have been developed for the efficient removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous environments. Unfortunately, such practical applications are not economic efficient. More advantages seem to be the utilization of marine algae biomass as feedstock for energy production. But, even if the obtaining of energy from marine algae is considered a ‘clean technology’, the valorization of algae waste resulted both after oil extraction and low temperature combustion is still important issue for which further solutions are sought. In this context, the utilization of such marine algae wastes as biosorbent for the removal of heavy metal ions from aqueous media; besides, that will ensure that the utilization of such materials in agreement with the principles of sustainable development will be also helpful in the environment bioremediation processes. In this chapter are comparatively presented the biosorptive performances of marine algae biomass and of wastes resulted from energy production for the removal of various heavy metals ions from aqueous media.