Microalgae: a potential plant for energy production

Organic and inorganic substances released into the environment as a result of domestic, agricultural and industrial activities often lead to serious pollution. A number of primary and secondary treatment processes are normally used to remove easily settled materials and biodegradable components of the wastewater. The final result is a clear, apparently clean effluent which is discharged into natural water bodies. This secondary effluent is, loaded with inorganic compounds and causes eutrophication and long-term problems because of refractory organics and heavy metals that are being discharged. The aim of this review paper is to determine in some detail the wastewater treatment using algae plant energy. However, algal production raises a number of sustainability concerns regarding land use, net energy return, water use, and nutrient supply. Microalgae culture offers an interesting step for wastewater treatments, because they provide a tertiary treatment coupled with the production of potentially valuable biomass, which can be used for biofuels production. Microalgae cultures offer an elegant solution to tertiary treatments due to the ability of microalgae to use inorganic compounds for their growth. And also, for their capacity to remove heavy metals, as well as some toxic organic compounds, In the current review, the role of micro-algae in the treatment of wastewater and growth parameters to be affected for the cultivation. At the same time, algal cultivation has proven useful in waste treatment processes and thus this aspect is also treated in some detail.