Microalgae biosorption, bioaccumulation and biodegradation efficiency for the remediation of wastewater and carbon dioxide mitigation: Prospects, challenges and opportunities

Environmental pollution is increasing day by day due to anthropogenic activities and different types of toxic contaminants such as heavy metals, chemicals, dyes, pesticides etc enter the environment from different sources such as municipal, industries and agricultural. Among wastewater treatment techniques, bioremediation is one of promising techniques, which utilize the inherent biological mechanism of plant and microorganism for the remediation of diverse pollutants. Microalgae have been applied to mitigate the toxic and recalcitrant pollutants in the effluents. Microalgae have the capacity to remove different types of contaminants through different methods such as biosorption, bioaccumulation and biodegradation. It has been observed that microalgae can remove the pollutants originated from the domestic effluents, agricultural runoffs, textile, leather, pharmaceutical and electroplating industries etc. Additionally, the microalgae have the ability to mitigate the carbon dioxide in their growth process and utilize the micronutrients in the effluents. This review paper critically analysed the application of microalgae for the remediation of diverse types of pollutants commonly present in the environment through different mechanisms.

Automated summary

Bioremediation techniques, such as the use of microalgae, offer a promising solution to the increasing environmental pollution caused by anthropogenic activities; microalgae are capable of removing various pollutants through mechanisms like biosorption, bioaccumulation, and biodegradation, as well as mitigating carbon dioxide levels and utilizing micronutrients in wastewater. Overall, this critical analysis highlights the significant role of microalgae in remediating diverse types of pollutants commonly found in the environment.