Microalgal growth in urban wastewater: biomass production with nutrient removal

• Type: Chapter or Part of a Book
• Date: 2024

Authors

A Sousa, S (Author) Other; Esteves, F (Author) FEUP; Pires, JCM (Author) FEUP; Salgado, M (Author) Other

Book

Title: Advances in Sustainable Applications of Microalgae

Pages: 141-162

ISBN: 978-044322127-9; 978-044322128-6

Electronic ISBN: 9780443221279

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

Scopus - 0 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-017-RDR

DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-443-22127-9.00006-8

Abstract (EN): Urban effluents are characterized by their high contaminant concentrations, which may cause harmful consequences to the environment. Therefore, it is necessary to regulate wastewater discharge considering the assimilative capacity of the receiving medium and continuously optimize the existing treatment technologies. Conventional wastewater treatment consists of four main stages that aim for the removal of the contaminants from the liquid phase: (1) preliminary; (2) primary; (3) secondary; and (4) tertiary. In this process, solid and gas residues are produced. Microalgae are photosynthetic organisms that can successfully perform wastewater bioremediation by removing contaminants such as nitrogen, phosphorus, pathogens, and heavy metals. Microalgal technologies have appeared as a promising option to be integrated into different stages of conventional wastewater treatment processes. The ability of microalgae to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide, release oxygen, and accumulate macronutrients in their biomass provides economic and environmental advantages for microalgae-based technologies over conventional treatments. This chapter aims to present the cultivation of microalgae using effluents from urban wastewater treatment plants, combining biomass production with effluent remediation. Specific objectives are (1) description of conventional wastewater treatment processes; (2) presentation of microalgal treatment performance of urban effluents; and (3) identification of critical factors in microalgae cultivation. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 21