Immobilized microalgae: principles, processes and its applications in wastewater treatment

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Environmental Science
• Microbiology

Background:

• Microalgae are valuable for biomass and pollutant removal but face challenges in large-scale production due to harvesting costs and low productivity.
• Immobilized microalgae culture coupled with wastewater treatment presents a novel approach to overcome these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review immobilized microalgae culture technologies for wastewater treatment.
• To discuss the mechanisms of biofilm formation and factors affecting microalgal growth in immobilized systems.
• To explore the potential of immobilized microalgae in removing various pollutants.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on immobilized microalgae culture.
• Discussion of biofilm formation theories (thermodynamic, DLVO, xDLVO) and ionic cross-linking.
• Analysis of factors influencing microalgal growth (strains, carriers, conditions).

Main Results:

• Immobilized microalgae demonstrate significant potential for removing nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metals, pesticides, and antibiotics from wastewater.
• The role of bacteria in immobilized microalgae cultivation and wastewater treatment is clarified.
• Immobilization techniques are found to be economically feasible and technically superior.

Conclusions:

• Immobilized microalgae technology offers a sustainable and efficient solution for wastewater treatment and biomass production.
• Further research is needed to address existing challenges and optimize immobilized microalgae systems for industrial applications.