Potential of Microalgae Based Wastewater Treatment Process and Its Implications

Potential of microalgae based wastewater treatment process and its implications

Muhammad Ilyas*

*Center for Environment and Water Research Institute, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Microalgae based wastewater treatment coupled with CO₂ fixation is considered to be the future solution of wastewater treatment due to advantages of CO₂ fixation, biofuel production and environmental sustainability. The wastewater produced from different sources i.e. industrial, municipal, dairy and agricultural wastewater is rich in nutrients necessary for microalgae growth. Flue gas may act as large sources of CO₂ and sunshine a natural source of light for microalgae photosynthesis. The effectiveness of wastewater treatment depends upon on the uptake of different nutrients from wastewater by microalgae cells through phototrophic mechanism utilizing inorganic CO₂ sources and heterotrophic mechanism involving utilization of organic carbon present in wastewater. This method presents economical solution by saving fresh water and nutrients supply cost necessary for microalgae growth in biofuel production process. In this research detail mechanism of microalgae based wastewater treatment, working of photobioreactors for microalgae cells growth and factors affecting the performance and effectiveness of wastewater treatment are discussed.

Keywords:    wastewater treatment, microalgae, CO₂ fixation