Abstract
Microalgae have been shown to be a source of multiple bio-based products ranging from high value molecules to commodities. Along with their potential to produce a large variety of products, microalgae can also be used for the depollution of wastewaters of different origins (urban, industrial, and agricultural). This paper is focused on the importance of harnessing the bioremediation capacity of microalgae to treat wastewaters in order to develop the microalgae industry (especially the microalgae biofuel industry) and to find other alternatives to the classic wastewater treatment processes. The current research on the potential of microalgae to treat a specific wastewater or a targeted pollutant is reviewed and discussed. Then, both strategies of selecting the best microalgae strain to treat a specific wastewater or pollutant and using a natural or an artificial consortium to perform the treatment will be detailed. The process options for treating wastewaters using microalgae will be discussed up to the final valorization of the biomass. The last part is dedicated to the challenges which research need to address in order to develop the potential of microalgae to treat wastewaters.
Highlights
Microalgae Industry: A Need for WastewaterSeveral studies have shown that the use of wastewater is a necessity for the development of the microalgae biofuel production industry [4,5,6,7]
The potential of microalgae to treat wastewaters has been evaluated through three different approaches: (1) the efficiency of microalgae-based high-rate algal ponds (HRAPs) treating urban wastewater; (2) the ability of microalgae to treat specific wastewaters and; (3) the ability of microalgae to treat a specific pollutant
Contaminations are a great threat for microalgae cultivation, especially when microalgae are grown in raceways or HRAPs [5]
Summary
Several studies have shown that the use of wastewater is a necessity for the development of the microalgae biofuel production industry [4,5,6,7]. Nutrients and water have to be used rationally due to three major facts: (1) life cycle analyses have shown that nutrients have a high impact on the environmental efficiencies of the microalgae production [9]; (2) water scarcity is a well-known global problem [10]; and (3) phosphorus is a non-renewable resource [11]. These economic and environmental drawbacks can be partly overcome by using wastewater (industrial, agricultural or urban) as growth substrate for microalgal biomass production. Bringing oxygen through microalgae photosynthesis without any energy consumption can lead to important savings in terms of energy demand, GHG emission and electricity cost for the WWTP
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