Microalgae for biofuel production and removal of heavy metals: a review
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REVIEW
Microalgae for biofuel production and removal of heavy metals: a review Kirubanandam Grace Pavithra1 · P. Senthil Kumar1,2 · V. Jaikumar1 · Kilaru Harsha Vardhan1 · PanneerSelvam SundarRajan1 Received: 11 April 2020 / Accepted: 30 June 2020 © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020
Abstract Removal of heavy metals from wastewaters using microalgae is gaining interest because microalgae also assimilate carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. Here, we review algal metabolism and cultivation; algal biomass conversion to biodiesel, bioethanol, biohydrogen, methane, electricity and fertilizers; and removal of metals with microalgae. The mixotrophic approach enables the effective treatment of both organic and inorganic wastes in water. For cultivation, photobioreactors are found efficient due to the control of operational conditions. Bioremediation of heavy metals by physiochemical processes appears to be more efficient than algal uptake. Keywords Microalgae · Cultivation · Value-added products · Heavy metal · Bioremediation
Introduction Huge amounts of wastewater are produced as a result of industrialization, farming, and urbanization. Eliminating wastewater generated without prior treatment leads to serious issues with pollution. High problems include algal bloom, nitrogen depletion, and a major loss of biodiversity resulting in the degradation of the freshwater ecosystem (Suganya and Kumar 2018; Vardhan et al. 2019). High cadmium, nickel, copper, chromium, zinc, and plum metals have been found by industrial pollution and have shaped our natural environment (Kiruba et al. 2014; Neeraj et al. 2016). Heavy metal accumulation is transmitted to humans through food chains and poses risks to human health. Heavy metal ions cause health problems for the living even at low concentrations. Appetite loss and excessive muscle contraction are some of the problems people face when exposed to zinc (Anitha et al. 2015; Monteiro et al. 2011b; Saravanan et al. 2018). Cadmium toxicity leads to high blood pressure * P. Senthil Kumar [email protected]; [email protected] 1
Department of Chemical Engineering, SSN College of Engineering, Chennai 603110, India
SSN‑Centre for Radiation, Environmental Science and Technology (SSN‑CREST), SSN College of Engineering, Chennai 603110, India
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and nephrotoxic symptoms, and long-term exposure causes kidney damage, the possibility of bone fractures, and depletion of bone minerals (Imran et al. 2020; Sharma and Naushad 2020; Zeraatkar et al. 2016). Trivalent and hexavalent are two different oxidation states of chromium. Hexavalent chromium has been found more toxic than trivalent and is responsible for vomiting, nausea, extreme diarrhea, bleeding, and birth defects (Basha et al. 2008; GracePavithra et al. 2019; Rangabhashiyam and Selvaraju 2015; Subedi et al. 2019). Lead exposure leads to mental weakness, depression, brain damage, dizziness, hallucination, and cognitive impairment (Kumar et al. 2011b; O’Connell et al. 2008). The toxicity of mercury causes renal, liver, and gast
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