Utilization of microalgae for nitrate removal

Increasing anthropogenic pressure on the water bodies has led to the problem of eutrophication all over the world, in which nitrate has emerged as one of the major pollutants. The major factors behind eutrophication are the extensive use of fertilizers in agricultural fields and improper disposal of wastewater in the water bodies. Eutrophication causes a decrease in macrophyte abundance, an increase in the growth of algae and plankton, algae blooms and deoxygenation.

Algae are the primary photosynthesizers and nitrogen is one of the most important nutrients for their growth and can be acquired from both organic (urea and amino acids) or inorganic (nitrate, nitrite and ammonia) nitrogen sources. Microalgae have traditionally been utilized for the treatment of wastewater because of their capacity to consume nitrogen and phosphorus. This eco-friendly treatment consumes less energy, significantly reduces carbon emissions and can lead to the production of biofuels. Furthermore, recovered nitrogen- and phosphorus-rich algal biomass can be exploited as low-cost plant biostimulants or animal feed. That is why we chose to investigate the capacity of microalgae to remove nitrate from synthetic wastewater, as nitrate is one of the major pollutants responsible for eutrophication.

 

Publication:

Rani, V.; Maróti, G. Assessment of Nitrate Removal Capacity of Two Selected Eukaryotic Green Microalgae. Cells 2021, 10, 2490. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10092490.