ABSTRACT
In paper making, pulping and bleaching are the main processes which are responsible for the generation of huge amounts of wastewater. Pulp and paper wastewater contains a significant amount of lignins and tannins, chlorinated organic compounds or AOX compounds that have proved to be very toxic for the aquatics in the receiving water bodies. They also affect the children and workers by causing diarrhea, vomiting, headaches, nausea and eye irritation. A number of physical, chemical and biological processes are used for the effective treatment of pulp and paper wastewater, but they are not enough to treat the wastewater up to the desired environmental standards. Further many advanced processes are developed for the treatment, which are quite effective in the treatment of pulp and paper wastewater. But the major limitation with the advanced processes is their high building and operating costs that was found to be unfeasible for poor and middle-income countries.
Microalgal remediation could be a potential, cost-effective and eco-friendly approach for the treatment of pulp and paper wastewater. They are quite effective in the removal of color, nutrients and chlorinated compounds removal from wastewater. While microalgae are not found to be much effective in the degradation of lignins and tannins, but they play a great role in phenol degradation that are abundantly present in pulp and paper wastewater. This chapter provides a brief introduction of the pulp and paper industry, pulp and paper wastewater and their impact on the environment and public health. It also underlines the merits and demerits of various treatment methods employed in the treatment of pulp and paper wastewater. The main focus of this chapter is the role and applicability of microalgae in remediation of pulp and paper wastewater and how this approach could solve the problems and constraints, and provide an affordable and effective means of treatment of the pulp and paper wastewater.
