Fluoxetine and Nutrients Removal from Aqueous Solutions by Phycoremediation

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Biotechnology
• Water Treatment

Background:

• Pharmaceuticals in wastewater pose environmental risks.
• Microalgae offer a sustainable tertiary treatment option.
• Chlorella vulgaris is a potential candidate for pollutant removal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess fluoxetine removal by living and non-living Chlorella vulgaris.
• To characterize microalgae biomass and understand removal mechanisms.
• To evaluate nutrient removal alongside fluoxetine in treated wastewater.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of Chlorella vulgaris biomass (pH, FTIR, SEM).
• Kinetic and equilibrium studies using pseudo-second-order and Langmuir models.
• Batch experiments with free and immobilized living algae for fluoxetine and nutrient removal.

Main Results:

• Pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm models described fluoxetine sorption.
• Biosorption was faster on non-living than living biomass.
• Living microalgae exhibited slightly higher maximum sorption capacity than non-living biomass.
• Complete fluoxetine removal was achieved within six days.
• Immobilized cells showed high removal efficiencies for total nitrogen (86.2%) and phosphorus (81.8%).

Conclusions:

• Chlorella vulgaris is effective for tertiary treatment of pharmaceutical-polluted wastewater.
• Both living and non-living biomass show potential, with living cells offering nutrient removal benefits.
• Immobilization enhances nutrient removal efficiency, making it a promising approach for wastewater treatment.