Microalgae-based bioremediation of heavy metals and emerging contaminants

During the last decades, special attention has been paid to the management of environmental pollution caused by hazardous materials. Several techniques have been implemented to eliminate toxic elements; however, these techniques have several shortcomings. The present attempt highlights the alternative biological agent abundantly present in nature, i.e. microalgae. Microalgae exist in freshwater and marine ecosystems and have been considered remarkably vital in the global ecology due to their photosynthetic efficiency and taxonomically diverse nature. Microalgae are considered a potential sink for removing various toxic substances from the ecosystem. Microalgae exhibit the ability to metabolize or accumulate or adsorb the toxic substance in the ecosystem to a substantial level. Also, the growing demand for pesticides is causing serious equilibrium problems in the soil and the aquatic environment. Nowadays, a large proportion of contamination comes from micro-pollutants, which have become a severe concern to human health and the natural ecosystem. Recent research attempts have shown that bioremediation through microalgae has become a novel and attractive tool. Bioremediation with microalgae has shown promising prospects since it is an ecological, efficient and economical method to prevent the accumulation of toxic substances in the ecosystem. In the current scenario, microalgae bioremediation supports the biological remediation of environmental toxins in the ecosystem. This chapter offers a comprehensive review of the available techniques for bioremediation and deliberates the potential, impact and challenges of microalgae-based bioremediations. © CAB International 2023. Algal Biotechnology (Qiang Wang). All rights reserved.