Remediation of Heavy Metals in Polluted Water by Immobilized Algae: Current Applications and Future Perspectives

Zhonghao Chen; Ahmed I. Osman; David W. Rooney; Wen Da Oh; Pow Seng Yap

doi:10.3390/su15065128

Remediation of Heavy Metals in Polluted Water by Immobilized Algae: Current Applications and Future Perspectives

Zhonghao Chen, Ahmed I. Osman^*, David W. Rooney, Wen Da Oh, Pow Seng Yap^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

28 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The progression of urban industrialization releases large quantities of heavy metals into water, resulting in the severe heavy metal contamination of the aquatic environment. Traditional methods for removing heavy metals from wastewater generally have varying removal efficiencies, whereas algae adsorption technology is a cost-effective and sustainable bioremediation technique. A green technology that immobilizes algae through a carrier to improve biosorbent’s stability and adsorption performance is immobilization technology. The purpose of this review is to study the optimization strategy of the immobilization of algae for the bioremediation of heavy metals and to comprehensively analyze immobilized algae technology in terms of sustainability. The analysis of the mechanism of heavy metal removal by immobilized algae and the parameters affecting the efficiency of the biosorbent, as well as the approach based on life cycle assessment and economic analysis, allowed the identification of the optimization of the adsorption performance of immobilized algae. This provides a theoretical basis for the practical application of algal bioremediation.

Original language	English
Article number	5128
Journal	Sustainability (Switzerland)
Volume	15
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/su15065128
Publication status	Published - Mar 2023

Keywords

biosorption
heavy metals
immobilized algae
life cycle assessment
water remediation

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.3390/su15065128

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@article{4df9c86e36a840c19b2160edadb05d42,

title = "Remediation of Heavy Metals in Polluted Water by Immobilized Algae: Current Applications and Future Perspectives",

abstract = "The progression of urban industrialization releases large quantities of heavy metals into water, resulting in the severe heavy metal contamination of the aquatic environment. Traditional methods for removing heavy metals from wastewater generally have varying removal efficiencies, whereas algae adsorption technology is a cost-effective and sustainable bioremediation technique. A green technology that immobilizes algae through a carrier to improve biosorbent{\textquoteright}s stability and adsorption performance is immobilization technology. The purpose of this review is to study the optimization strategy of the immobilization of algae for the bioremediation of heavy metals and to comprehensively analyze immobilized algae technology in terms of sustainability. The analysis of the mechanism of heavy metal removal by immobilized algae and the parameters affecting the efficiency of the biosorbent, as well as the approach based on life cycle assessment and economic analysis, allowed the identification of the optimization of the adsorption performance of immobilized algae. This provides a theoretical basis for the practical application of algal bioremediation.",

keywords = "biosorption, heavy metals, immobilized algae, life cycle assessment, water remediation",

author = "Zhonghao Chen and Osman, {Ahmed I.} and Rooney, {David W.} and Oh, {Wen Da} and Yap, {Pow Seng}",

note = "Funding Information: Ahmed I. Osman and David W. Rooney wish to acknowledge the support of The Bryden Centre project (Project ID VA5048), which was awarded by The European Union{\textquoteright}s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), with match funding provided by the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland and the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation in the Republic of Ireland. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 by the authors.",

year = "2023",

month = mar,

doi = "10.3390/su15065128",

language = "English",

volume = "15",

journal = "Sustainability (Switzerland)",

issn = "2071-1050",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Remediation of Heavy Metals in Polluted Water by Immobilized Algae

T2 - Current Applications and Future Perspectives

AU - Chen, Zhonghao

AU - Osman, Ahmed I.

AU - Rooney, David W.

AU - Oh, Wen Da

AU - Yap, Pow Seng

N1 - Funding Information: Ahmed I. Osman and David W. Rooney wish to acknowledge the support of The Bryden Centre project (Project ID VA5048), which was awarded by The European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), with match funding provided by the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland and the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation in the Republic of Ireland. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.

PY - 2023/3

Y1 - 2023/3

N2 - The progression of urban industrialization releases large quantities of heavy metals into water, resulting in the severe heavy metal contamination of the aquatic environment. Traditional methods for removing heavy metals from wastewater generally have varying removal efficiencies, whereas algae adsorption technology is a cost-effective and sustainable bioremediation technique. A green technology that immobilizes algae through a carrier to improve biosorbent’s stability and adsorption performance is immobilization technology. The purpose of this review is to study the optimization strategy of the immobilization of algae for the bioremediation of heavy metals and to comprehensively analyze immobilized algae technology in terms of sustainability. The analysis of the mechanism of heavy metal removal by immobilized algae and the parameters affecting the efficiency of the biosorbent, as well as the approach based on life cycle assessment and economic analysis, allowed the identification of the optimization of the adsorption performance of immobilized algae. This provides a theoretical basis for the practical application of algal bioremediation.

AB - The progression of urban industrialization releases large quantities of heavy metals into water, resulting in the severe heavy metal contamination of the aquatic environment. Traditional methods for removing heavy metals from wastewater generally have varying removal efficiencies, whereas algae adsorption technology is a cost-effective and sustainable bioremediation technique. A green technology that immobilizes algae through a carrier to improve biosorbent’s stability and adsorption performance is immobilization technology. The purpose of this review is to study the optimization strategy of the immobilization of algae for the bioremediation of heavy metals and to comprehensively analyze immobilized algae technology in terms of sustainability. The analysis of the mechanism of heavy metal removal by immobilized algae and the parameters affecting the efficiency of the biosorbent, as well as the approach based on life cycle assessment and economic analysis, allowed the identification of the optimization of the adsorption performance of immobilized algae. This provides a theoretical basis for the practical application of algal bioremediation.

KW - biosorption

KW - heavy metals

KW - immobilized algae

KW - life cycle assessment

KW - water remediation

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DO - 10.3390/su15065128

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:85153893035

SN - 2071-1050

VL - 15

JO - Sustainability (Switzerland)

JF - Sustainability (Switzerland)

IS - 6

M1 - 5128

ER -

Remediation of Heavy Metals in Polluted Water by Immobilized Algae: Current Applications and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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