Microalgae-driven swine wastewater biotreatment: Nutrient recovery, key microbial community and current challenges

As a promising technology, the microalgae-driven strategy can achieve environmentally sustainable and economically viable swine wastewater treatment. Currently, most microalgae-based research focuses on remediation improvement and biomass accumulation, while information on the removal mechanisms and dominant microorganisms is emerging but still limited. In this review, the major removal mechanisms of pollutants and pathogenic bacteria are systematically discussed. In addition, the bacterial and microalgal community during the swine wastewater treatment process are summarized. In general, Blastomonas, Flavobacterium, Skermanella, Calothrix and Sedimentibacter exhibit a high relative abundance. In contrast to the bacterial community, the microalgal community does not change much during swine wastewater treatment. Additionally, the effects of various parameters (characteristics of swine wastewater and cultivation conditions) on microalgal growth and current challenges in the microalgae-driven biotreatment process are comprehensively introduced. This review stresses the need to integrate bacterial and microalgal ecology information into the conventional design of fullscale swine wastewater treatment systems and operations. Herein, future research needs are also proposed,

Automated summary

This review discusses the microalgae-driven strategy for swine wastewater treatment, focusing on the removal mechanisms of pollutants and pathogenic bacteria, as well as the characteristics of bacterial and microalgal communities. The review also introduces the effects of various parameters on microalgal growth and the current challenges in the biotreatment process. Integration of bacterial and microalgal ecology information into the design of swine wastewater treatment systems is emphasized.