Environmental pollution is increasing drastically from year to year, with one of the main problems being the pollution of water sources, which can have serious consequences for our future. The development of wastewater treatment technologies is now common practice, but traditional treatment systems have certain shortcomings. Microalgae represent an economical and sustainable solution as they not only assimilate nutrients through photosynthetic activity but are also capable of removing a wide range of pollutants through biosorption, bioaccumulation and biodegradation. They can remove nutrients and pollutants even at lower concentrations, reduce CO2 emissions and utilize both inorganic and organic carbon to treat various wastewater sources. Microalgae can be cultivated in open or closed systems if the operating parameters are optimized accordingly. They are known for their rapid growth and remarkable adaptability to different and challenging conditions. The biomass remaining after treatment is separated from the wastewater by sedimentation, flotation, flocculation, coagulation, filtration, or centrifugation. The biomass has recently attracted increasing attention due to its potential for various purposes such as the production of biofuels, use in the agricultural and pharmaceutical industries and the extraction of value-added products. Despite the innovative technology of using microalgae for wastewater treatment, we still face some challenges. One major challenge is the transfer of the technology to large-scale applications, which requires the systematic integration of innovative solutions into real environments with different wastewater sources. A considerable amount of research is therefore still to be expected in this area.
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