Journal of Energy Bioscience 2024, Vol.15, No.3, 171-185 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/jeb 178 The dual role of microalgae in wastewater treatment and biomass production is exemplified in the study by Chai et al. (2020), which reviewed the multifaceted roles of microalgae in biotreatment systems. The study emphasized that microalgae can effectively remove nutrients and other contaminants from wastewater while producing biomass with significant lipid and carbohydrate content. This biomass can be utilized for biodiesel production, thereby providing a sustainable energy source. In another example, Hernández-García et al. (2019) investigated the use of microalgae-bacteria consortia for the treatment of wastewater and landfill leachate. The study found that these consortia could achieve high nutrient removal efficiencies while producing biomass with a high content of lipids and carbohydrates, suitable for biofuel production. The integration of microalgae cultivation with wastewater treatment not only improves water quality but also supports the generation of renewable energy resources. 7.3 Case examples of integrated systems and their efficiencies Several case studies have demonstrated the efficiency and feasibility of integrating microalgae cultivation with wastewater treatment systems. These systems utilize the symbiotic relationship between microalgae and bacteria to enhance nutrient removal from wastewater. For example, an integrated system using Scenedesmus sp. in a tertiary treatment setup achieved complete removal of ammonium and phosphate, along with significant reductions in nitrates and organic matter. The system also produced high-quality biomass suitable for biogas production (Arias et al., 2018). Using microalgae like Tetraselmis suecica and Scenedesmus quadricauda for the treatment of dairy wastewater has shown high removal efficiencies for nitrogen, phosphate, and organic carbon. The produced biomass had a high lipid content, making it suitable for biodiesel production. This approach highlights the versatility of microalgae in treating various types of wastewater while generating valuable biomass (Daneshvar et al., 2018) (Figure 2). Figure 2 Effect of TC concentration (a) and contact time (b) on TC removal efficiency from water by microalgal biomasses after lipid extraction [pH: 8, Biosorbent dosage: 2 g/L, TC concentration: 10 mg/L (in effect of contact time experiment), contact time: 180 min (in effect of initial tetracycline concertation experiment)] (Adopted from Daneshvar et al., 2018)
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