ABSTRACT

This chapter aims to evaluate the state of art on the subject of distillery wastewater treatment through phytoremediation with the perspective of nutrient uptake by microalgae. The wastewater could serve as water and a nutritional source for the cultivation of microalgae, thereby reducing the cost of cultivation. It was inferred that phycoremediation is a promising, viable option for distilleries to include in the current treatment process of wastewaters. The discharge of distillery wastewater into the environment without its proper treatment is harmful and has high pollution potential. Distillery wastewater has a large impact on water bodies by its dark brown color and pollution load due to the presence of recalcitrant melanoidins. Distillery wastewater contains a high concentration of potassium, phosphorus, sulfur, and heavy metals and its continuous discharge could lead to soil pollution and acidification. The reduction of the pollution load of distillery wastewater can be determined by the growth rate of microalgae species.