A Comprehensive Review on Microalgae-Based Biorefinery as Two-Way Source of Wastewater Treatment and Bioresource Recovery

In the past few years, microalgae have gained huge recognition from the scientific community due to their potential applications in the production of a broad array of bio-based products varying from biofuels to nanoparticles. Due to their elevated growth rate, high tolerance to various types of abiotic stresses, and complex metabolic capacity, microalgae can be used as promising tools for the attainment of a circular bioeconomy. Moreover, they can simply utilize nutrients from wastewater for biorefinery purposes, resulting in resource recovery coupled with wastewater treatment. However, due to their sub-optimal yields and high production costs, microalgae-based bio-products have not yet been commercialized. This review provides insights into the employment of microalgae as an efficient bioresource for the treatment of wastewater with simultaneous enactment as a biorefinery to produce biofuels, biochar, bioplastic, fertilizers, and other high-value bioproducts. Furthermore, the application of microalgal nanoparticles in wastewater treatment and prospects for genetic modification of microalgae for enhanced biorefinery capabilities have also been briefly highlighted.     

Algal Cultivation for Treating Wastewater in African Developing Countries: A Review

The tremendous increase in human population and rapid decline in freshwater resources have necessitated the development of innovative and sustainable wastewater treatment methods. Africa as a developing continent is currently backing on sustainable solutions to tackle impending water resource crisis brought forward by wastewater‐induced environmental pollution and climate change. Microalgae‐based wastewater treatment systems represent an emerging technology that is capable of meeting the new demand for improved wastewater treatment and climate change mitigation strategies in an environmentally friendly manner. This review critically looks at the opportunities of Africa in harnessing and exploiting the potential of microalgae for the treatment of various wastewaters based on their capacity to recycle nutrients and for concurrent production of valuable biomass and several useful metabolites. Wastewaters, if improperly/completely untreated and discharged, simultaneously pollute freshwater sources and present significant health and environmental risks. Nutrients in wastewater can be utilized and recovered in the form of marketable biomass and products when integrated with the cultivation of microalgae. Several valuable bioproducts can be generated from wastewater‐grown microalgal biomass including biofuels, biofertilizers, animal feed, and various bioactive compounds. This biorefinery approach would most certainly improve wastewater treatment process economics, enhancing the technical feasibility of algae‐based wastewater remediation in African countries.     

Integration of Microalgae-Based Wastewater Bioremediation–Biorefinery Process to Promote Circular Bioeconomy and Sustainability: A Review

Bioremediation of wastewater using microalgae is inexpensive, energy efficient, and effective in pollutant reduction as compared to conventional wastewater treatment technologies. Wastewater is a huge resource of minerals, nutrients, bioenergy, and valuable organic compounds and can be used for cultivation of microalgae. The microalgal biomass can be further used as biorefinery feedstock to produce biofuels and commercially important high-value products. The potential of microalgae toward bioremediation and biorefinery applications presents the avenues for integrating the two processes to support circular bioeconomy and sustainability. This review presents a holistic view of integration of bioremediation and biorefinery processes using microalgae for deriving multiple benefits like pollutant removal, resource recovery, biofuel production, and generation of high-value commercial products. The current status of high-throughput microalgal screening technologies is also discussed since the selection of suitable microalgal strains is crucial for the application. The review further summarizes various processes involved in bioremediation and biorefinery systems such as cultivation, bioremediation, harvesting, and downstream processing. Recent trends in microalgal strain improvement for bioremediation and biorefinery applications through genetic engineering, bioinformatics, omics technologies, and genome editing tools are highlighted, while addressing the risks, biosafety issues, and regulatory affairs associated with genetically modified algae.     

Growing Duckweed to Recover Nutrients from Wastewaters and for Production of Fuel Ethanol and Animal Feed

Lemnaceae or duckweed is an aquatic plant that can be used to recover nutrients from wastewaters. The grown duckweed can be a good resource of proteins and starch, and utilized for the production of value‐added products such as animal feed and fuel ethanol. In the last eleven years we have been working on growing duckweed on anaerobically treated swine wastewater and utilizing the duckweed for fuel ethanol production. Duckweed strains that grew well on the swine wastewater were screened in laboratory and greenhouse experiments. The selected duckweed strains were then tested for nutrient recovery under laboratory and field conditions. The rates of nitrogen and phosphorus uptake by the duckweed growing in the laboratory and field systems were determined in the study. The mechanisms of nutrient uptake by the duckweed and the growth of duckweed in a nutrient‐limited environment have been studied. When there are nutrients (N and P) available in the wastewater, duckweed takes the nutrients from the wastewater to support its growth and to store the nutrients in its tissue. When the N and P are completely removed from the wastewater, duckweed can use its internally stored nutrients to keep its growth for a significant period of time. A modified Monod model has been developed to describe nitrogen transport in a duckweed‐covered pond for nutrient recovery from anaerobically treated swine wastewater. Nutrient reserve in the duckweed biomass has been found the key to the kinetics of duckweed growth. Utilization of duckweed for value‐added products has a good potential. Using duckweed to feed animals, poultry, and fish has been extensively studied with promising results. Duckweed is also an alternative starch source for fuel ethanol production. Spirodela polyrrhiza grown on anaerobically treated swine wastewater was found to have a starch content of 45.8% (dry weight). Enzymatic hydrolysis of the duckweed biomass with amylases yielded a hydrolysate with a reducing sugar content corresponding to 50.9% of the original dry duckweed biomass. Fermentation of the hydrolysate using yeast gave an ethanol yield of 25.8% of the original dry duckweed biomass. These results indicate that the duckweed biomass can produce significant quantities of starch that can be readily converted into ethanol.     

Concentrations of Artificial Sweeteners and Their Ratios with Nutrients in Septic System Wastewater

This study reports the first comprehensive data set of characteristic concentrations of four artificial sweeteners: acesulfame (ACE), sucralose (SUC), saccharin (SAC), and cyclamate (CYC), and their ratios with nutrients, for untreated septic system wastewater. Samples were collected from the tanks of 19 different septic systems from across Ontario, Canada; these had a variety of usages, from single‐family cottages to multiple‐dwelling (campground or resort) facilities and had no additional treatment systems. The artificial sweetener concentrations and their relative proportions were highly variable in some cases, both temporally for several individual tanks and from site‐to‐site. Variability tended to be lower for multiple‐dwelling compared to single‐dwelling systems. This variability likely reflects differing use of artificial sweetener‐containing products. The median concentrations for the complete data set of all four artificial sweeteners (in a range of 10 to 60 μg/L) were of a similar order of magnitude, but slightly higher, than has generally been reported for wastewater treatment plant influent (though these vary substantially globally). Both SUC and ACE provided adequate positive linear relationships for dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus in the septic tanks, while a summation of ACE and SUC concentrations also gave a strong correlation. In contrast, CYC and SAC showed poor linear correlation with these nutrients. These reported ranges for artificial sweetener concentrations and ratios with nutrients may be used in future studies to estimate the contributions of nutrients or other wastewater constituents (e.g., pharmaceuticals, bacteria, and viruses) from domestic septic systems to groundwater, including water supply or irrigation wells, and nearby surface water bodies.     

Livestock wastewater treatment by a mangrove pot-cultivation system and the effect of salinity on the nutrient removal efficiency

The present investigation compared the capacity of greenhouse pot-cultivation systems under two salinity conditions (freshwater and saline water) with two mangrove species (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza and Kandelia candel) to remove nutrients from livestock wastewater. During the whole treatment period there were relatively stable leachate TOC concentrations for wastewater-treated pots. Leachate NH4(+)-N concentration of B. gymnorrhiza pots was generally lower than that of K. candel pots. Leachate PO4(3-)-P concentration of pots receiving wastewater under freshwater condition was higher than that under saline water condition. Soil inorganic N content was more than two times higher for the wastewater treatments than that for the controls under low salinity condition and slower rate of increase under saline water condition. Soil P nutrients of both total and extractable inorganic forms significantly increased for both systems due to the discharges of livestock wastewater under both salinity conditions. The rate of increase in P contents for plants receiving livestock wastewater was 1-4 times that of the controls, much more than that in N contents (0.04-1.30 times). N nutrient removal efficiencies were 84.3% (65.6% by soil and 18.7% by plant) and 95.5% (32.2% by soil and 63.4% by plant), respectively by Kandelia candel and B. gymnorrhiza pot-cultivation systems under freshwater condition. Under saline water condition, N nutrient removal efficiencies by K. candel and B. gymnorrhiza pot-cultivation systems were 92.7% (80.7% by soil and 12.0% by plant) and 98.0% (67.6% by soil and 30.3% by plant), respectively. P nutrient removal efficiencies by K. candel and B. gymnorrhiza systems under freshwater condition were 79.2% (76.6% by soil and 2.6% by plant) and 91.8% (88.2% by soil and 3.6% by plant), respectively. The corresponding values were 88.0% (84.2% by soil and 3.8% by plant) and 97.8% (95.9% by soil and 1.9% by plant) under saline water condition.     

Progress in the Development of Control Strategies for the SBR Process

The sequencing batch reactor (SBR) process has shown great success in the treatment of industrial wastewater from intermittent discharge factories and for the treatment of domestic wastewater from medium or small towns. As automation technology has developed, many studies have been conducted to determine the optimal conditions for the SBR process. This review outlines the progress and application of control strategies that have been developed for the SBR process and provides a summary and comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of various control strategies, especially fixed‐time control strategies and various real‐time control strategies. Moreover, an analysis and discussion of novel optimal control methods for biologic nutrient removal are provided. Although previous studies in this field have greatly enriched our understanding of SBR systems, it is clear that many unsolved problems remain. Therefore, a summary of unanswered questions regarding control strategies for the SBR process is provided and future research directions are suggested.     

Rhizofiltration of a Heavy Metal (Lead) Containing Wastewater Using the Wetland Plant Carex pendula

Rhizofiltration is a subset technique of phytoremediation which refers to the approach of using plant biomass for removing contaminants, primarily toxic metals, from polluted water. The effective implementation of this in situ remediation technology requires experimental as well as conceptual insight of plant–water interactions that control the extraction of targeted metal from polluted water resources. Therefore, pot and simulation experiments are used in this study to investigate the rhizofiltration of a lead containing wastewater using plants of Carex pendula, a common wetland plant found in Europe. The metal contaminant extraction along with plant growth and water uptake rates from a wastewater having varying Pb concentration is studied experimentally for 2 wk. The temporal distribution of the metal concentration in the wastewater and the accumulated metal in different compartments of C. pendula at the end are analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry. Parameters of the metal uptake kinetics are deduced experimentally for predicting the metal removal by root biomass. Further, mass balance equations coupled with the characterized metal uptake kinetics are used for simulating the metal partitioning from the wastewater to its accumulation in the plant biomass. The simulated metal content in wastewater and plant biomass is compared with the observed data showing a good agreement with the later. Results show that C. pendula accumulates considerable amounts of lead, particularly in root biomass, and can be considered for the cleanup of lead contaminated wastewaters in combination with proper biomass disposal alternatives. Also, the findings can be used for performing further non‐hydroponics experiment to mimic the real wetland conditions more closely.     

Design and Development of Onsite Biofilter Unit for Effective Remediation of Contaminants from Wastewater

Agricultural biomass is proven ecofriendly and effective adsorbent for the remediation of contaminants from wastewater. Here, rice husk biochar (600 °C) prepared by a one-step pyrolysis method is used for the remediation of different contaminants in real samples. An onsite biofilter unit is fabricated with parallel trenches of different layers of coconut coir and biochar and is used as a biofiltration unit. The efficiency of the designed unit is assessed for the removal of different contaminants in pilot-scale experiments. Results show that removal efficiency varies from metal to metal and ranges from 5.52% to 90.76% using the biofilter unit. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray analysis, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis before and after the adsorption represent the changes in the morphology and surface functionalization of the biochar. Results indicate that the designed biofilter unit could also be used as a promising agent for the remediation of pharmaceutical and other emerging contaminants from wastewater.     

Removal of Aromatic Volatile Organic Compounds in the Sequencing Batch Reactor of Petroleum Refinery Wastewater Treatment Plant

This paper presents a field investigation of aromatic volatile organic compounds (AVOCs) emissions from a sequence batch reactor (SBR) with powdered activated carbon (PAC) to treat the wastewater in a large petroleum refinery plant. AVOC with high Henry's constant preferred to transfer from liquid‐phase into air‐phase so that might cause the emission and odor problem. During SBR operation, AVOC concentrations and distributions in wastewater, sludge and off‐gas were analyzed. The total AVOC removal from wastewater was >99% under the kinetic parameters of SBR operated. Batch experiments were carried out in the laboratory to obtain the adsorptive characteristic of AVOC onto PAC, but the results showed that bio‐degradation was the main removal mechanism (85%). Nevertheless, off‐gas emission (<1%) and AVOC in the sludge (<0.1%) remained a stable level. Oxidation/reduction potential (ORP) was correlated to the logarithm of the dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in a linear relationship so that ORP profile could indirectly reflect the DO and biomass concentrations. Since the influent AVOC concentration was varied and difficultly to measure, ORP could be used as real‐time parameter for optimizing SBR operation. The results provided useful information for future evaluation of AVOC emissions from wastewater treatment plants.     

Physiological responses of the seagrass Thalassia hemprichii (Ehrenb.) Aschers as indicators of nutrient loading

To select appropriate bioindicators for the evaluation of the influence of nutrients from human activities in a Thalassia hemprichii meadow, environmental variables and plant performance parameters were measured in Xincun Bay, Hainan Island, South China. Nutrient concentrations in the bay decreased along a gradient from west to southeast. Moreover, the nutrients decreased with an increase in the distance from the shore on the southern side of the bay. Among the candidate indicators, the P content of the tissues closely mirrored the two nutrient loading gradients. The epiphytic algae biomass and the N content in the tissues mirrored one of the two nutrient loading trends. The leaf length, however, exhibited a significant negative correlation with the nutrient gradients. We propose that changes in the P content of T. hemprichii, followed by epiphytic algae biomass and N content of the tissues, may be the useful indicators of nutrient loading to coastal ecosystems.     

Nitrogen emissions into freshwater ecosystems: is there a need for nitrate elimination in all wastewater treatment plants?

Excessive inputs of phosphorus and nitrogen are the main reasons of eutrophication of inland waters and coastal areas. Large efforts have been made to control phosphorus, but the measures to reduce nitrogen emissions failed at least partly. While it was possible to reduce nitrogen emissions from industry and municipal wastewater treatment plants, diffuse sources are showing only very minor decline. Examples of limnetic, marine and coastal systems are given to review the current knowledge about nitrogen transformation and the effects of nitrate in the environment. When N is the limiting nutrient in a particular water body, this does not necessarily mean that phytoplankton is controllable by NO₃^– removal. In systems with problems due to a high redox‐sensitive internal phosphorus load and under certain constraints, nitrate may be used as an ecotechnological measure to prevent anaerobic phosphorus release from sediments. Model simulations are used to demonstrate this. A schematic model of redox‐mediated temporal phosphorus storage in riverine lake sediments with short retention time is proposed. We conclude that while anthropogenic nitrogen emissions are a global problem, no fast and simple single solution exists. Additional nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment will have no effect, as long as diffuse sources and nitrate concentrations in groundwater remain at a high level. Emission reductions should be achieved in an integrated way, taking direct and indirect effects into account. In this sense, case by case decisions and a new definition of “sensitive areas” are required.     

Application of Agro‐Based Biomasses for Zinc Removal from Wastewater – A Review

Zinc remediation of aqueous streams is of special concern due to its highly toxic and persistent nature. Conventional treatment technologies for the removal of zinc are not economical and further generate huge quantity of toxic chemical sludge. Biosorption is emerging as a potential alternative to the existing conventional technologies for the removal of metal ions from aqueous solutions. Mechanisms involved in the biosorption process include chemisorption, complexation, adsorption–complexation on surface and pores, ion exchange, microprecipitation, heavy metal hydroxide condensation onto the bio surface, and surface adsorption. Biosorption largely depends on parameters such as pH, the initial metal ion concentration, biomass concentration, presence of various competitive metal ions in solution, and to a limited extent on temperature. Biosorption using biomass such as agricultural wastes, industrial residues, municipal solid waste, biosolids, food processing waste, aquatic plants, animal wastes, etc., is regarded as a cost‐effective technique for the treatment of high volume and low concentration complex wastewaters containing zinc metal. Very few reviews are available where readers can get an overview of the sorption capacities of agro based biomasses used for zinc remediation together with the traditional remediation methods. The purpose of this review article is to provide the scattered available information on various aspects of utilization of the agro based biomasses for zinc metal ions removal. An extensive table summarizes the sorption capacities of various adsorbents. These biosorbents can be modified using various methods for better efficiency and multiple reuses to enhance their applicability at industrial scale. We have incorporated most of the valuable available literature on zinc removal from waste water using agro based biomasses in this review.     

Effects of salinity on treatment of municipal wastewater by constructed mangrove wetland microcosms

The effects of salinity on the removal of dissolved organic carbon and nutrients from municipal wastewater by constructed mangrove microcosms planted with Aegiceras corniculatum were investigated. During the four-month wastewater treatment, the treatment efficiency was reduced by high salinity, and the removal percentages of dissolved organic carbon, ammonia-N and inorganic N dropped from 91% to 71%, from 98% to 83% and from 78% to 56%, respectively, with salinity increasing from 0 to 30 parts per thousands (ppt). In spite of such inhibition at high salinity, 100% of the effluents discharge from the constructed mangrove microcosms still complied with the discharge standards set by the Hong Kong Government for Coastal Water Control Zones. These results suggested that constructed mangrove wetland treatment systems were promising to effectively treat municipal wastewater, even those with high salinity. In addition, the denitrification potential in soil was found to be retarded by the high salinity while mangrove plants grew best at 15 ppt salinity condition.     

Uptake of macroelements by the helophytePhalaris arundinacea L.

Helophytes are often incorporated into biological wastewater treatment plants. In favourable situations, they can take up large amounts of nutrients. One helophyte, the reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.), is fast growing when supplied with sufficient light and nutrients. Experiments were carried out under natural climatic conditions in small plastic tanks filled with sand with regular additions of a balanced and concentrated nutrient solution. In the growing season (May–October), plant production reached 10.5 kg m^–2 of dry biomass, of which 66% was in the aerial parts. Maximum nutrient uptake capacity was reached just after flowering and before senescence (beginning of October): 49% N, 34% P, 52% K and 34% Mg of the input was fixed in the aerial parts, which are easily harvestable. The corresponding values for the below ground parts were 12%, 10%, 11% and 11% respectively. Excretion of K and Mg has been observed when nutrients are translocated to the storage organs.     

Effects of salinity on treatment of municipal wastewater by constructed mangrove wetland microcosms

The effects of salinity on the removal of dissolved organic carbon and nutrients from municipal wastewater by constructed mangrove microcosms planted with Aegiceras corniculatum were investigated. During the four-month wastewater treatment, the treatment efficiency was reduced by high salinity, and the removal percentages of dissolved organic carbon, ammonia-N and inorganic N dropped from 91% to 71%, from 98% to 83% and from 78% to 56%, respectively, with salinity increasing from 0 to 30 parts per thousands (ppt). In spite of such inhibition at high salinity, 100% of the effluents discharge from the constructed mangrove microcosms still complied with the discharge standards set by the Hong Kong Government for Coastal Water Control Zones. These results suggested that constructed mangrove wetland treatment systems were promising to effectively treat municipal wastewater, even those with high salinity. In addition, the denitrification potential in soil was found to be retarded by the high salinity while mangrove plants grew best at 15 ppt salinity condition.     

人工湿地废水处理系统的生物学基础研究进展

主要阐述了人工湿地废水处理系统中生物学基础的研究进展,至今,对作为湿地生产者的水生植物研究较多,水生植物除直接吸收利用废水中的营养物质,吸附和富集重金属外,还起输送氧气至根区,形成根区多种微环境和维护湿地水力传输的作用;而对作为湿地分解者的微生物的研究较少,湿地微生物的代谢活动是废水中有机物质降解的基础机制。