ABSTRACT
Globally, wastewater is being generated in several gallons on a real-time basis. Wastewater of any kind needs to be appropriately treated before effluence into the water bodies. Wastewater management curbs the environmental hazards and pollutants from the earth's inhabitants generally. It reduces the excess nutrients, chemical oxygen demand (COD), pathogens, toxic metals, and hazardous chemicals in the treated wastewater, thereby favoring the aquatic inhabitants and terrestrial inhabitants. Biological or biochemical based wastewater management systems play a pivotal role in resolving its demand. Microalgal (including cyanobacteria) based biological wastewater treatment (MWWT) either in oxidation pond or in advanced wastewater treatment systems have been found to be effective in reducing the high COD, excess nutrients (nitrogen, phosphate, organic substrates), and/or other contaminants of effluents. Microalgal biomass generated from these wastewater treatments also has the potential to yield commercially viable and beneficial products. They provide treated water, renewable energy, and green, organic valuable products. Apart from delimiting the environmental hazards, MWWT also helps set up expensive commercial or municipal wastewater management systems with some investment return. This chapter will elaborate on valuable products such as bioenergy, organic manure, nutrients, and chemicals from the wastewater-grown microalgal system and their commercial viability.
