ABSTRACT
Several studies on algal growth in industrial, municipal, and agricultural wastewater have shown that microalgae are proficient in removing substantial amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and heavy metals from wastewaters as they require these nutrients for their growth. The water containing industrial effluents and agricultural and household discharges are termed as wastewater containing higher concentrations of nutrients. The industrial wastewaters are deficient in carbon content, but enriched with the nitrogen and phosphorus components, which support the growth and development of microalgae in wastewater. Wastewater treatment methods are broadly classified into three categories: physical, chemical, and biological. Microalgae-based wastewater treatment procedure such as high-rate algal ponds received significant attention worldwide because of their biomass recovery, which can be utilized as fertilizers, protein-rich feed, and source of biofuel as well as treating wastewater. Photosynthetic microorganisms assimilate significant amounts of organic and inorganic nutrients present in wastewater and release O2 in the water during photoautotrophic growth.
