Algal culture and biofuel production using wastewater

Algae provide a cost-effective and sustainable means of water treatment, with simultaneous production of commercially valuable products. This review aims to critically examine the feasibility of algae-based wastewater treatment, including strategies for strain selection, the effect of wastewater types, photobioreactor design, and the potential performance of algae-bacteria consortium treatment. Algae biomass offers an alternative treatment approach to remove nutrients and other pollutants, such as nitrogen/phosphate, organic carbons, VFAs, pharmaceutical compounds, dye compounds, and heavy metals. This manuscript provides useful information on the development of integrated wastewater treatment that utilizes microalgal biomass and biofuel production facilities, and the establishment of efficient co-cultivation conditions for algae and bacteria in such systems.