Microalgal-bacterial aggregates for wastewater treatment: Origins, challenges, and future directions

Microalgal-bacterial aggregates are promising for wastewater treatment because they remove organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus while producing biomass that settles quickly. This review details the development of microalgal-bacterial aggregates, identifies key challenges, and proposes future research directions. While many studies have been performed in the laboratory with synthetic wastewater and artificial lighting, more research is needed to better understand how to form and sustain aggregates at larger scales with real wastewater and natural lighting. While it appears that microalgal-bacterial aggregates are unlikely to replace or augment conventional activated sludge, they have the potential to improve resource recovery in existing microalgae-based wastewater treatment processes (e.g., high-rate algal ponds). Alternatively, attached-growth bioreactors utilizing microalgal-bacterial consortia may be able to compete directly with conventional activated sludge while providing the benefits that microalgae offer, although additional research is needed. PRACTITIONER POINTS: More pilot and full-scale research on microalgal-bacterial processes is needed. Microalgae cultivation with short retention times is challenging. Attached-growth processes may allow for competitive footprint requirements.