Abstract
This review aims to perform an updated bibliographical survey on the cultivation of microalgae in domestic wastewater with a focus on biotechnological aspects. It was verified that the largest number of researches developed was about cultures in microalgae-bacteria consortium and mixed cultures of microalgae, followed by researches referring to the species Chlorella vulgaris and to the family Scenedesmaceae. According to published studies, these microorganisms are efficient in the biological treatment of domestic wastewater, as well as in the production of high value-added biomass, as they are capable of biosorbing the organic and inorganic compounds present in the culture medium, thus generating cells with high levels of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. These compounds are of great importance for different industry sectors, such as pharmaceuticals, food, and also for agriculture and aquaculture. In addition, biomolecules produced by microalgae can be extracted for several biotechnological applications; however, most studies focus on the production of biofuels, with biodiesel being the main one. There are also other emerging applications that still require more in-depth research, such as the use of biomass as a biofertilizer and biostimulant in the production of bioplastic. Therefore, it is concluded that the cultivation of microalgae in domestic wastewater is a sustainable way to promote effluent bioremediation and produce valuable biomass for the biobased industry, contributing to the development of technology for the green economy.
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The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to the Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco, to the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior.
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This work received support from the Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco (Processes n° IBPG-0098-5.06/21 and BFP-0131-5.06/22), to the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Process n° 167938/2022-3) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Processes n° 88882.436231/2019-01 and 88887.695202/2022-00).
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The material preparation, data colletion and analysis were performed by Barbara C. S. Brandão and Elizabeth P. Santos. The authors Barbara C. S. Brandão, Carlos Y. B. Oliveira and Jéssika L. Abreu were responsible for writing the manuscript. Deyvid W. S. Oliveira was responsible to prepered Figs. 1, 2, 3. Suzianny M. B. C. Silva and Alfredo O. Gálvez were responsible for correcting and revising the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final version of manuscript.
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de Cassia Soares Brandão, B., Oliveira, C.Y.B., dos Santos, E.P. et al. Microalgae-based domestic wastewater treatment: a review of biological aspects, bioremediation potential, and biomass production with biotechnological high-value. Environ Monit Assess 195, 1384 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-12031-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-12031-w