High-efficiency nutrients reclamation from landfill leachate by microalgae Chlorella vulgaris in membrane photobioreactor for bio-lipid production

The effect of ammonia concentration on the treatment of bio electrochemical leachate using MFCs technology

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have garnered attention in bio-electrochemical leachate treatment systems. The most common forms of inorganic ammonia nitrogen are ammonium (NH 4 + ) and free ammonia. Anaerobic digestion can be inhibited in both direct (changes in environmental conditions, such as fluctuations in temperature or pH, can indirectly hinder microbial activity and the efficiency of the digestion process) and indirect (inadequate nutrient levels, or other conditions that indirectly compromise the microbial community's ability to carry out anaerobic digestion effectively) ways by both kinds. The performance of a double-chamber MFC system-composed of an anodic chamber, a cathode chamber with fixed biofilm carriers (carbon felt material), and a Nafion 117 exchange membrane is examined in this work to determine the impact of ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 - N ) inhibition. MFCs may hold up to 100 mL of fluid. Therefore, the bacteria involved were analysed using 16S rRNA. At room temperature, with a concentration of 800 mg L-1 of ammonium nitrogen and 13,225 mg L-1 of chemical oxygen demand (COD), the study produced a considerable power density of 234 mWm-3. It was found thatNH 4 - N concentrations above 800 mg L-1 have an inhibitory influence on power output and treatment effectiveness. Multiple routes removed the most nitrogen (NH 4 + -N: 87.11 ± 0.7%, NO2 -N: 93.17 ± 0.2% and TN: 75.24 ± 0.3%). Results from sequencing indicate that the anode is home to a rich microbial community, with anammox (6%), denitrifying (6.4%), and electrogenic bacteria (18.2%) making up the bulk of the population. Microbial fuel cells can efficiently and cost-effectively execute anammox, a green nitrogen removal process, in landfill leachate.

Effect of hydrothermal pretreatment on leachate fed Scenedesmus sp. biomass solubilization and biogas production

The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of hydrothermal pretreatment on the solubilization and anaerobic digestion (AD) of Scenedesmus sp. biomass. At first, the microalgae was cultivated in 5% fresh leachate (FL) to recover nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. Scenedesmus sp. grown in 5% FL obtained 100%, 77% and 97% removal efficiency of ammonium nitrogen (NH4+ - N), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and phosphate phosphorous (PO43- -P), respectively. In the following step, the hydrothermal pretreatment of Scenedesmus sp. biomass was carried out at 120, 150 and 170 °C and retention time of 0, 30 and 60 min to evaluate its solubilization and biogas production through AD in batch test. Soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD) increased by 260% compared to untreated microalgae at 170 °C for 60 min. In comparison to untreated microalgae, the highest increase in biogas (70%) and methane yield (100%) was observed for 150 °C and 60 min pretreated microalgae as a consequence of hydrothermal pretreatment. Hydrothermal pretreatment has shown effectiveness in enhancing biomass solubilization and increasing biogas yield. Nevertheless, further research at the pilot scale is necessary to thoroughly evaluate the potential and feasibility of hydrothermal pretreatment for full-scale implementation.

Microalgae-mediated bioremediation: current trends and opportunities-a review

Environmental pollution poses a critical global challenge, and traditional wastewater treatment methods often prove inadequate in addressing the complexity and scale of this issue. On the other hand, microalgae exhibit diverse metabolic capabilities that enable them to remediate a wide range of pollutants, including heavy metals, organic contaminants, and excess nutrients. By leveraging the unique metabolic pathways of microalgae, innovative strategies can be developed to effectively remediate polluted environments. Therefore, this review paper highlights the potential of microalgae-mediated bioremediation as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to conventional methods. It also highlights the advantages of utilizing microalgae and algae-bacteria co-cultures for large-scale bioremediation applications, demonstrating impressive biomass production rates and enhanced pollutant removal efficiency. The promising potential of microalgae-mediated bioremediation is emphasized, presenting a viable and innovative alternative to traditional treatment methods in addressing the global challenge of environmental pollution. This review identifies the opportunities and challenges for microalgae-based technology and proposed suggestions for future studies to tackle challenges. The findings of this review advance our understanding of the potential of microalgae-based technology wastewater treatment.

Utilization of microbial fuel cells as a dual approach for landfill leachate treatment and power production: a review

Landfill leachate, which is a complicated organic sewage water, presents substantial dangers to human health and the environment if not properly handled. Electrochemical technology has arisen as a promising strategy for effectively mitigating contaminants in landfill leachate. In this comprehensive review, we explore various theoretical and practical aspects of methods for treating landfill leachate. This exploration includes examining their performance, mechanisms, applications, associated challenges, existing issues, and potential strategies for enhancement, particularly in terms of cost-effectiveness. In addition, this critique provides a comparative investigation between these treatment approaches and the utilization of diverse kinds of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) in terms of their effectiveness in treating landfill leachate and generating power. The examination of these technologies also extends to their use in diverse global contexts, providing insights into operational parameters and regional variations. This extensive assessment serves the primary goal of assisting researchers in understanding the optimal methods for treating landfill leachate and comparing them to different types of MFCs. It offers a valuable resource for the large-scale design and implementation of processes that ensure both the safe treatment of landfill leachate and the generation of electricity. The review not only provides an overview of the current state of landfill leachate treatment but also identifies key challenges and sets the stage for future research directions, ultimately contributing to more sustainable and effective solutions in the management of this critical environmental issue.

Methods for the separation of hydraulic retention time and solids retention time in the application of photosynthetic microorganisms in photobioreactors: a review

Photosynthetic microorganisms have a wide range of biotechnical applications, through the application of their versatile metabolisms. However, their use in industry has been extremely limited to date, partially because of the additional complexities associated with their cultivation in comparison to other organisms. Strategies and developments in photobioreactors (PBRs) designed for their culture and applications are needed to drive the field forward. One particular area which bears examination is the use of strategies to separate solid- and hydraulic-residence times (SRT and HRT), to facilitate flow-through systems and continuous processing. The aim of this review is to discuss the various types of PBRs and methods which are currently demonstrated in the literature and industry, with a focus on the separation of HRT and SRT. The use of an efficient method of biomass retention in a PBR may be advantageous as it unlocks the option for continuous operation, which may improve efficiency, and improve economic feasibility of large-scale implementation of photosynthetic biocatalysts, especially where biomass is not the primary product. Due to the underexplored nature of the separation of HRT and SRT in reactors using photosynthetic microorganisms, limited literature is available regarding their performance, efficiencies, and potential issues. This review first introduces an overview into photosynthetic microorganisms cultivated and commonly exploited for use in biotechnological applications, with reference to bioreactor considerations specific to each organism. Following this, the existing technologies used for the separation of HRT and SRT in PBRs are explored. The respective advantages and disadvantages are discussed for each PBR design, which may inform an interested bioprocess engineer.

Eco-friendly cultivation of microalgae using a horizontal twin layer system for treatment of real solid waste leachate

Solid waste leachate (SWL) requires dilution with water to offset the negative effects of high nutrient concentration and organic compounds for its microalgae-based treatment. Among attached cultivation systems, twin layer is a technology in which limited information is available on treatment of high strength wastewater using microalgae. Moreover, widespread application of twin layer technology is limited due to cost of substrate and source layer used. In the present study, potential of Scenedesmus sp. for the treatment of SWL was assessed on horizontal twin layer system (HTLS). Novel and cost-effective substrate layers were tested as attachment material. Wetland treated municipal wastewater (WMW) was used to prepare SWL dilutions viz, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% SWL. Recycled printing paper showed maximum biomass productivity of 5.19 g m-2 d-1. Among all the SWL dilutions, Scenedesmus sp. achieved maximum growth of 103.05 g m-2 in 5% SWL which was 16% higher than WMW alone. The maximum removal rate of NH4+ -N, TKN, and PO43- P was obtained in 20% SWL which was 1371, 1588 and 153 mg m-2 d-1 respectively. Varying concentrations of nutrients in different SWL dilutions significantly affected lipid biosynthesis, with enhanced productivity of 2.28 g m-2 d-1 achieved in 5% SWL compared to 0.97 g m-2 d-1 in 20% SWL. Hence, it can be concluded that 5% SWL dilution was good for biomass and lipid production, while the highest nutrient removal rates were obtained at 20% SWL mainly attributed to biotic and abiotic processes. Based on these results HTLS can be a promising technology for pilot scale to explore industrialized application of wastewater treatment and algal production.

Microalgae biofuels: illuminating the path to a sustainable future amidst challenges and opportunities

The development of microalgal biofuels is of significant importance in advancing the energy transition, alleviating food pressure, preserving the natural environment, and addressing climate change. Numerous countries and regions across the globe have conducted extensive research and strategic planning on microalgal bioenergy, investing significant funds and manpower into this field. However, the microalgae biofuel industry has faced a downturn due to the constraints of high costs. In the past decade, with the development of new strains, technologies, and equipment, the feasibility of large-scale production of microalgae biofuel should be re-evaluated. Here, we have gathered research results from the past decade regarding microalgae biofuel production, providing insights into the opportunities and challenges faced by this industry from the perspectives of microalgae selection, modification, and cultivation. In this review, we suggest that highly adaptable microalgae are the preferred choice for large-scale biofuel production, especially strains that can utilize high concentrations of inorganic carbon sources and possess stress resistance. The use of omics technologies and genetic editing has greatly enhanced lipid accumulation in microalgae. However, the associated risks have constrained the feasibility of large-scale outdoor cultivation. Therefore, the relatively controllable cultivation method of photobioreactors (PBRs) has made it the mainstream approach for microalgae biofuel production. Moreover, adjusting the performance and parameters of PBRs can also enhance lipid accumulation in microalgae. In the future, given the relentless escalation in demand for sustainable energy sources, microalgae biofuels should be deemed a pivotal constituent of national energy planning, particularly in the case of China. The advancement of synthetic biology helps reduce the risks associated with genetically modified (GM) microalgae and enhances the economic viability of their biofuel production.

Microalgae-assisted heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification process for cost-effective nitrogen and phosphorus removal from high-salinity wastewater: Performance, mechanism, and bacterial community

A microalgae-assisted heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification (HNAD) system for efficient nutrient removal from high-salinity wastewater was constructed for the first time as a cost-effective process in the present study. Excellent nutrient removal (∼100.0 %) was achieved through the symbiotic system. The biological removal process, biologically induced phosphate precipitation (BIPP), microalgae uptake, and ammonia stripping worked together for nutrient removal. Furthermore, the biological removal process achieved by biofilm contributed to approximately 55.3-71.8 % of nitrogen removal. BIPP undertook approximately 45.6-51.8 % of phosphorus removal. Batch activity tests confirmed that HNAD fulfilled an extremely critical role in nitrogen removal. Microalgal metabolism drove BIPP to achieve efficient phosphorus removal. Moreover, as the main HNAD bacteria, OLB13 and Thauera were enriched. The preliminary energy flow analysis demonstrated that the symbiotic system could achieve energy neutrality, theoretically. The findings provide novel insights into strategies of low-carbon and efficient nutrient removal from high-salinity wastewater.

Algae-based treatment of a landfill leachate pretreated by coagulation-flocculation

Landfill leachate (LL) management is an urgent issue at recently closed Sisdol Landfill Site (SLS) used to dispose of solid waste generated in Kathmandu (Nepal) as untreated leachate is flowing directly to the nearby Kolpu River causing environmental and health concerns. This study aims to assess the potential of algae-based treatment of LL pretreated by optimized coagulation-flocculation (CF) for the removal of conventional pollutants such as biological oxygen demand (BOD₅), chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia, nitrate, and phosphate. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the operating variables (dose and pH) during the pretreatment of leachate by the CF process using ferric chloride (FeCl₃.7H₂O), alum (Al₂(SO₄)₃.6H₂O) and commercial poly aluminium chloride (PAC) as coagulants using a jar test apparatus. The pretreated LL was subjected to algal treatment using the mixed microalgae culture isolated and enriched from the wastewater collection pond and grown in artificial light. The combined physicochemical and algal treatment of LL from SLS achieved 62.93-72.43%, 74.93-75.55% and 87.58-93.40% and 73.63-86.73% removal for COD, BOD₅, ammonium-nitrogen and phosphate, respectively. Thus, this research has proven the feasibility of a combined physiochemical and algae-based treatment of LL and also offers an exciting alternative to current treatment practices for LL.

CO2 capture and lipid production performance of microalgae in the S-shaped photobioreactor under different culture modes

An S-shaped photobioreactor was designed by adding grooves and baffles in the traditional photobioreactor to improve the culture efficiency of microalgae. After that, the parameters of the characterization of the S-shaped photobioreactor, such as the mixing time, gas holdup, and gas-liquid mass transfer coefficient, were determined. The biomass, lipid production rate, and average CO₂ capture rate of microalgae were then analyzed under different culture modes. Finally, the feasibility of using digested piggery wastewater combined with simulated flue gas was explored as a culture mode for the microalgae and the lipid properties of the microalgae were analyzed. The results revealed that, at a flow rate of 0.08 vvm, the mixing time was reduced by 8.5 s, the gas hold-up increased by 44.6% and the gas-liquid mass transfer ability was also improved. Improvements were also observed in the biomass values, lipid production rate, and average CO₂ capture rate of the microalgae under different culture conditions, with respective values reaching 0.23 g·(L·d)^-1, 70.28 mg·(L·d)^-1, and 0.43 g·(L·d)^-1 under the mixotrophic mode. Additionally, digested piggery wastewater combined with the simulated microalgae flue gas culture was determined to be feasible. The biomass, lipid production rate, and the average CO₂ capture rate of microalgae, the values of which were 0.22 g·(L·d)^-1, 52.55 mg·(L·d)^-1, and 0.41 g·(L·d)^-1, respectively. Lipid was observed to have the potential to produce high-quality biofuel.

Enhanced energy recovery from landfill leachate by linking light and dark bio-reactions: Underlying synergistic effects of dual microalgal interaction

Bioconversion of nutrients and energy from landfill leachate (LL) to biohydrogen and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) using dark fermentation (DF) is a promising technique for developing a sustainable ecosystem. However, poor performance of DF caused by vulnerable fermentative bacteria vitality and strong LL toxicity significantly hinder its commercialization. Herein, an integrated technique linking microalgae photosynthesis and DF was proposed, in which mixed microalgae were applied to robustly reclaim nutrients and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from LL. Then, microalgae biomass was fermented into biohydrogen and VFAs using the DF process. Underlying synergistic mechanisms of the interaction of Scenedesmus obliquus and Chlorella vulgaris resulting from the functioning of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were discussed in detail. For better absorption of nutrients from LL, the mixed microalgae secreted obviously more EPS than pure microalgae, which played vital roles in the assimilation of cellular nutrients by forming more negative zeta potential and secreting more tyrosine-/tryptophan-family proteins in EPS. Besides, mixed microalgae produced more intracellular proteins and carbohydrates than the pure microalgae, thereby providing more feedstock for DF and achieving higher energy yield of 10.80 kJ/L than 6.64 kJ/L that was obtained when pure microalgae were used. Moreover, the energy conversion efficiency of 7.75% was higher for mixed microalgae than 4.77% that was obtained for pure microalgae. This work may inspire efficient disposal of LL and production of bioenergy, together with filling the knowledge gaps of synergistic mechanisms of dual microalgal interactions.

Screening of microalgae species and evaluation of algal-lipid stimulation strategies for biodiesel production

Microalgae is considered an alternative source for biodiesel production producing renewable, sustainable and carbon-neutral energy. Microalgae property changes among species, which determines the efficiency of biodiesel production. Besides the lipid content evaluation, multi-principles (including high lipid productivity, high biomass yield, pollution resistance and desired fatty acid, etc.) for superior oil-producing species screening was proposed in this review and three microalgae species (Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus obliquus and Mychonastes afer) with high bio-lipid producing prospect were screened out based on big data digging and analysis. The multilateral strategies for algal-lipid stimulating were also compared, among which, nutrient restriction, temperature control, heterotrophy and chemicals addition showed high potential in enhancing lipid accumulation; while electromagnetic field showed little effect. Interestingly, it was found that the lipid accumulation was more sensitive to nitrogen (N)-limitation other than phosphorus (P). Nutrient restriction, salinity stress etc. enhanced lipid accumulation by creating a stressed environment. Hence, optimum conditions (e.g. N:15-35 mg/L and P:4-16 mg/L) should be set to balance the lipid accumulation and biomass growth, and further guarantee the algal-lipid productivity. Otherwise, two-step cultivation could be applied during all the stressed stimulation. Different from lab study, effectiveness, operability and economy should be all considered for stimulation strategy selection. Nutrient restriction, temperature control and heterotrophy were highly feasible after the multidimensional evaluation.

A high-efficiency mixotrophic photoelectroactive biofilm reactor (MPBR) for enhanced simultaneous removal of nutrients and antibiotics by integrating light intensity regulation and microbial extracellular electron extraction

The performance of a mixotrophic photoelectroactive biofilm reactor (MPBR) was improved in order to achieve enhanced simultaneous removal of multiple aqueous pollutants and the production of valuable biomass. The MPBR was optimized by integrating the regulation of light intensity (3000, 8000 and 23000 lux) and microbial extracellular electron extraction (using an electrode at -0.3, 0 and 0.3 V). Results showed that the MPBR operated at a high light intensity (23000 lux) with a potential of -0.3 V (Coulomb efficiency (CE) of 9.65%) achieved maximum pollutant removal efficiencies, effectively removing 65% NH₄⁺-N, 95% PO₄^3--P and 52% sulfadiazine (SDZ) within 72 h, exhibiting an increase by 30%, 56% and 26% compared to an MPBR operated at the same light intensity but without an externally applied potential. The use of an electrode with an applied potential of -0.3V was most suitable for the extraction of photosynthetic electrons from the photoelectroactive biofilm, in which Rhodocyclaceae was highly enriched, effectively alleviating photoinhibition and thereby enhancing N, P assimilation and SDZ degradation under high light conditions. A maximum lipid content of 409.28 mg/g was obtained under low light intensity (3000 lux) conditions with an applied potential of 0.3 V (CE 9.08%), while a maximum protein content of 362.29 mg/g was obtained at a low light intensity (3000 lux) and 0 V (CE 10.71%). The selective enrichment of Chlorobium and the subsequent enhanced conversion of excess available carbon under low light and positive potential stimulation conditions, were responsible for the enhanced accumulation of proteins and lipids in biomass.

Cost Model for Biogas and Biomethane Production in Anaerobic Digestion and Upgrading. Case Study: Castile and Leon

The increase in pig production is a key factor in the fight against climate change. The main problem is the amount of slurry which causes environmental problems, therefore optimal management is needed. This management consists of an anaerobic digestion process in which biogas is produced and a subsequent upgrading process produces biomethane. In this study, a comparison of different biomethane production systems is completed in order to determine the optimum for each pig farm, determining that conventional upgrading systems can be used on farms with more than 11,000 pigs and, for smaller numbers of pigs, the biological upgrading system. The implementation of these technologies contributes to reducing fossil energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions by using biogas and biomethane as heat, electricity or vehicle fuel.

A pilot-scale study of the integrated phycoremediation-photolytic ozonation based municipal solid waste leachate treatment process

Municipal solid waste (MSW) leachate is a highly polluted liquid that accumulates in the landfill and contains a high concentration of toxic pollutants which can pollute the surrounding surface water and groundwater as well, if not treated properly. In this study, an integrated approach of phycoremediation with photolytic ozonation was employed for the leachate collected from the MSW dumpsite which has high Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and ammonium (NH₄⁺) levels. Photolytic ozonation treatment was employed as a pre-treatment step under operating parameters of pH: 9.0; Ozone dosage: 5 g/h; UV-C: λ = 254 nm; and contact time: 60 min, in which the COD and NH₄⁺ in the leachate was reduced up to 81% and 95%, respectively. The selected algae Chlorella vulgaris (C.vulgaris) was employed in a lab-scale study to optimize the inoculum conditions in the photolytic ozonated leachate (POL). The specific growth rate of C.vulgaris was observed as 0.14/d in the POL at the optimized condition (inoculum size of 25% (T25)) during the study period of 11 days. High-rate algal pond (HRAP) was employed for the pilot-scale study in controlled environmental conditions as in the T25 experimental run for the assessment of POL treatment and biomass production. C.vulgaris reduced the concentration of pollutants COD, NH₄⁺, and heavy metals (Cu, Fe) in the POL up to 93%, 94%, and 71%, respectively, with the dry biomass productivity of 0.727 g/L/d which is 3 times higher than the biomass productivity of C.vulgaris in freshwater conditions. The biochemical composition (carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids) of the harvested biomass has higher lipid production with lipid productivity of 120 mg/L/d which can be used as a feedstock for the production of value-a dded products.

Highly effective water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) waste-based functionalized sustainable green adsorbents for antibiotic remediation from wastewater

Azithromycin (AZIM) is considered as one of the most frequently prescribed antibiotics (ABs) in the world by medical professionals. This study explored, two novel, cheap and environmentally beneficial adsorbents i.e., alkali treated water hyacinth powder (AT-WHP) and graphene oxide-water hyacinth-polyvinyl alcohol (GO-WH-PVA) composite, fabricated from water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) waste to remediate AZIM from wastewater. Biosorption experiments were performed by batch and packed-bed column studies and the adsorbents were characterized using various instrumental methods. The morpho-chemical profile of the adsorbents suggested noteworthy AZIM adsorption. AZIM adsorption data can be reasonably explained by pseudo second order (PSO) kinetic model with maximum regression coefficient (R² > 0.99) and lowest Marquardt's present standard deviation (MPSD) and root mean squared error (RMSE) values. The isotherm models recommended Langmuir and Temkin to be the best-fitted, providing highest regression coefficient and lowest error values. Conferring to Langmuir model, the theoretical highest adsorption potentials (q_max) were accounted to be 244.498 and 338.115 mg/g for AT-WHP and GO-WH-PVA, correspondingly, very close to experimental values (q_e, exp). AZIM adsorption processes were governed by the chemisorption mechanisms. The adsorbents had excellent regeneration potential and could be reused several times. In order to scale-up application of the adsorbents, performance of a 100 L packed-bed reactor was assessed and a breakthrough time of adsorption for GO-WH-PVA was 15 min in 5000 mg/L AZIM concentration. Thus, the absorbents synthesized in this study can be considered highly effective at removal of AZIM from wastewater.

Thermodynamic and kinetic studies on harmful algal blooms harvesting by novel etherified cationic straw flocculant

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are growing threats that cause tens of billion dollars economic loss annually. Aiming at efficient disposal of HABs, a cheap and eco-friendly cationic straw was developed by etherification of wheat straw, which replaced hydroxyl groups on cellulose by quaternary ammonium groups. It endowed the cationic straw with high positive charge and achieved 93.92% of harvesting efficiency by enhancing HABs cells aggregation via charge neutralization. Different from inorganic salts-based flocculants, HABs harvesting by the cationic straw is a spontaneous and exothermic process with negative ΔG° and ΔH° under all adsorption conditions. Thermodynamics and kinetics analysis elucidated that HABs adsorption process by cationic straw were mainly driven by physical forces. Together, cationic straw preparation and HABs harvesting processes were comprehensively optimized with orthogonal experiments. The work may inspire cost-effective HABs disposal and fill knowledge gaps of process nature for HABs harvesting.

Gradient electro-processing strategy for efficient conversion of harmful algal blooms to biohythane with mechanisms insight

Globally eruptive harmful algal blooms (HABs) have caused numerous negative effects on aquatic ecosystem and human health. Conversion of HABs into biohythane via dark fermentation (DF) is a promising approach to simultaneously cope with environmental and energy issues, but low HABs harvesting efficiency and biohythane productivity severely hinder its application. Here we designed a gradient electro-processing strategy for efficient HABs harvesting and disruption, which had intrinsic advantages of no secondary pollution and high economic feasibility. Firstly, low current density (0.888-4.444 mA/cm²) was supplied to HABs suspension to harvest biomass via electro-flocculation, which achieved 98.59% harvesting efficiency. A mathematic model considering coupling effects of multi-influencing factors on HABs harvesting was constructed to guide large-scale application. Then, the harvested HABs biomass was disrupted via electro-oxidation under higher current density (44.44 mA/cm²) to improve bioavailability for DF. As results, hydrogen and methane yields of 64.46 mL/ (g VS) and 171.82 mL/(g VS) were obtained under 6 min electro-oxidation, along with the highest energy yield (50.1 kJ/L) and energy conversion efficiency (44.87%). Mechanisms of HABs harvesting and disruption under gradient electro-processing were revealed, along with the conversion pathways from HABs to biohythane. Together, this work provides a promising strategy for efficient disposal of HABs with extra benefit of biohythane production.

Bioremediation of Raw Landfill Leachate Using Galdieria sulphuraria: An Algal-Based System for Landfill Leachate Treatment

This study aims to evaluate the potential of using a thermophilic acidophilic red alga, Galdieria sulphuraria for effective on-site treatment of municipal landfill leachate (LL). This study focused on evaluating the effects of LL dilution, nitrogen loading, and initial algal biomass density on the overall treatment efficiency, and evaluated the long-term performance of the system using 5-day growth cycles. This study confirmed that optimal conditions for G. sulphuraria biomass production are 20% strength LL, a lower initial biomass concentration of 0.25 g L−1, and the addition of N at twice the level of initial media. Furthermore, the results indicated G. sulphuraria’s ability to grow in elevated NH4-N concentration (>950 mg L−1) and provide nitrogen removal rates of up to 40 mg L−1 d−1. In addition, the long-term running experiment showed that the proposed algal-based system could be applied in semi-continuous mode to achieve bioremediation. Overall, the results obtained from this study can be used to develop the necessary process parameters to implement large-scale algal-based systems for landfill leachate treatment.

Enhancing nitrogen removal in mature landfill leachate by mixed microalgae through elimination of inhibiting factors

Nitrogen removal from landfill leachate (LL) using microalgae is a promising method and can realize CO₂ mitigation. But the performances are usually inhibited by high chromaticity, high free ammonia (FAN) and some complex macro molecular organic matter (MOM) in the LL. To achieve efficient nitrogen removal from LL, this study firstly pretreated the mature LL with ozone, decolorizer and activated sludge (AS) respectively, and then inoculated with mixed microalgae. The results showed that the synergistic effect of ozonation and microalgae was the best among the three, with 99.7% ammonia removal, 0.77 g/L (dry weight) microalgae biomass, and a maximum growth rate of 160 mg/L/d. Ozonation pretreatment significantly reduced the chromaticity and macromolecular organic matter of LL, with the chromaticity reduced from 2225 to 225 times and the 3D fluorescence intensity representing MOM reduced from 4089 a.u. to 986.1 a.u.. And it was found that the mixed microalgae grown after pretreatment by three different methods all were mostly Chlorella and very few Microcystis, and the density of microalgal populations (number of cells per unit volume) after ozonation was up to 10,650 cells/μL. This work provides a feasible and an economical way to remove ammonia nitrogen (NH+ 4-N) from landfill leachate.

Membrane Photobioreactor Applied for Municipal Wastewater Treatment at a High Solids Retention Time: Effects of Microalgae Decay on Treatment Performance and Biomass Properties

Membrane photobioreactor (MPBR) technology is a microalgae-based system that can simultaneously realize nutrient recovery and microalgae cultivation in a single step. Current research is mainly focused on the operation of MPBR at a medium SRT. The operation of MPBR at a high SRT is rarely reported in MPBR studies. Therefore, this study conducted a submerged MPBR to treat synthetic municipal wastewater at a long solids retention time of 50 d. It was found that serious microalgae decay occurred on day 23. A series of characterizations, including the biomass concentration, chlorophyll-a content, nutrients removal, and physical-chemical properties of the microalgae, were conducted to evaluate how microalgae decay affects the treatment performance and biomass properties. The results showed that the biomass concentration and chlorophyll-a/MLSS dropped rapidly from 3.48 to 1.94 g/L and 34.56 to 10.71 mg/g, respectively, after the occurrence of decay. The effluent quality significantly deteriorated, corresponding to the total effluent nitrogen and total phosphorus concentration sharply rising and exceeding that of the feed. In addition, the particle became larger, the content of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) decreased, and the soluble microbial products (SMPs) increased instantaneously. However, the filtration resistance had no significant increase because of the comprehensive interactions of the floc size, EPSs, and SMPs. The above results suggest that the MPBR system cannot maintain long-term operation under a high SRT for municipal wastewater treatment. In addition, the biological treatment performance of the MPBR deteriorated while the antifouling performance of the microalgae flocs improved after the occurrence of decay. The occurrence of microalgae decay was attributed to the double stresses from the light shading and intraspecific competition under high biomass concentration. Therefore, to avoid microalgae decay, periodic biomass removal is required to control the environmental stress within the tolerance range of the microalgae. Further studies are required to explore the underlying mechanism of the occurrence of decay.

Improving reverse osmosis concentrate treatment and nutrients conversion to Chlorella vulgaris bioenergy assisted with granular activated carbon

Landfill leachate (LL), especially the reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC), is a societal burden due to high toxicity but may have intrinsic values attributing to copious nutrients and organics. ROC bioremediation by microalgae has attracted much attentions benefiting from its extra advantage of bioenergy production. However, efficient microalgae cultivation with ROC is still a challenging task attributing to notorious ROC characteristics, like high chromaticity and toxicity. To alleviate these negative influences, a technique integrating granular activated carbon (GAC) pretreatment and microalgae bioremediation was proposed, with which nitrogen and phosphorus removal efficiencies achieved 100% along with an optimized microalgal biomass concentration of 1.44 g/L and lipid yield of 482.4 mg/L. Furthermore, a total volumetric energy yield of 33.6 kJ/L was acquired, which was conducive to realize energy valorization. The visualization evidence of three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy revealed chromaticity degradation mechanism of ROC as humic acids reduction and transfer to family of soluble microbial by-products. Meanwhile, contributions of GAC adsorption and microalgae assimilation on nutrients removal were analyzed. Together, this work provides a promising method and valuable information for ROC bioremediation with microalgae.

Resourceful treatment of harsh high-nitrogen rare earth element tailings (REEs) wastewater by carbonate activated Chlorococcum sp. microalgae

The discharge of rare earth element (REE) tailings wastewater results in serious ecological deterioration and health risk, due to high ammonia nitrogen, and strong acidity. The low C/N ratio makes it recalcitrant to biodegradation. Recently it has been shown that microalgal technology has a promising potential for the simultaneous harsh wastewater treatment and resource recovery. However, the low nitrogen removal rate and less biomass of microalgae restricted its development. In this work, Chlorococcum sp. was successfully isolated from the rare earth mine effluent. The microalgae was capable of enhancing nitrogen contaminants removal from REEs wastewater due to the carbonate addition, which simulated the activity increase of carbonic anhydrase (CA). The total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) removal rate reached 4.45 mg/L h^-1, which compared to other microalgal species, the nitrogen removal rate and biomass yield were 7.8- and 4.9-fold higher, respectively. Notably, high lipid contents (mainly triglycerides, 43.85% of dry weight) and a high biomass yield were obtained. Meanwhile, the microalgae had an excellent settleability attributed to higher extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) formation, leading to easier resource harvest. These results were further confirmed in a continuous-flow photobioreactor with a stable operation for more than 30 days, indicating its potential for application.

Study of MOF incorporated dual layer membrane with enhanced removal of ammonia and per-/poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in landfill leachate treatment

Landfill leachate is a highly polluted and complex wastewater as it contains large amounts of organic matters, ammonia‑nitrogen, heavy metals, and per-/poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which makes its treatment very challenging. In this paper, hydrophilic/hydrophobic dual layer membranes combining advantages of pervaporation and membrane distillation was employed to treat leachate in a direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) configuration. An aluminum fumarate (AlFu) metal organic framework (MOF) incorporated poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrophilic layer was coated on hydrophobic PTFE membrane to overcome the low separation efficiency of PFAS and ammonia and wetting issues encountered by the conventional hydrophobic PTFE membrane used for DCMD. The rejections of dual layer membranes with different MOF loading to PFAS, ammonia, TOC and TDS were assessed based on the amount of AlFu MOF incorporated into the PVA layer. Based on the conducted adsorption tests, it was found that AlFu MOF increases the rejection of PVA layer to PFAS and ammonia. The coating of the hydrophilic layer could enhance the wetting resistance with/without MOF addition. In comparison with the pristine PTFE membrane using synthetic feed containing 3 wt% NaCl, 1 wt% addition of AlFu MOF into the PVA layer showed slightly increased flux. All the tested membranes showed more than 99% rejection to TOC. The rejection to ammonia was increased as more MOF was incorporated into the PVA layer. The maximum rejection of ammonia was 99.8% when the PVA layer containing 10% MOF. All the membranes showed more than 99% rejection to PFOS and PFHxS. However, PTFE membrane did not show any rejection to PFOA. As more MOF was added into the hydrophilic layer, the rejection to PFOA increased, but plateaued at 65.6% with 5% MOF incorporation into the hydrophilic layer.

Mass cultivation and harvesting of microalgal biomass: Current trends and future perspectives

Microalgae are unicellular photosynthetic organisms capable of producing high-value metabolites like carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, pigments, and other high-value metabolites. Microalgal biomass gained more interest for the production of nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, therapeutics, food supplements, feed, biofuel, bio-fertilizers, etc. due to its high lipid and other high-value metabolite content. Microalgal biomass has the potential to convert trapped solar energy to organic materials and potential metabolites of nutraceutical and industrial interest. They have higher efficiency to fix carbon dioxide (CO₂) and subsequently convert it into biomass and compounds of potential interest. However, to make microalgae a potential industrial candidate, cost-effective cultivation systems and harvesting methods for increasing biomass yield and reducing the cost of downstream processing have become extremely urgent and important. In this review, the current development in different microalgal cultivation systems and harvesting methods has been discussed.

Energy and nutrients recovery from wastewater cultivated microalgae: Assessment of the impact of wastewater dilution on biogas yield

In this study, microalgae culture was integrated into wastewater treatment as tertiary treatment to recover nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous. Different wastewater dilutions were assessed to investigate the effect on microalgae biomass composition for further energy recovery in the form of biogas: photobioreactor (PBR)1: control; PBR2: 10% wastewater; PBR3 50% wastewater and PBR4: 100% wastewater. After 10 days of cultivation, PBR3 presented the highest biomass productivity, which was 47.37% higher than the control. All PBRs containing wastewater presented a 100% removal of phosphorous and up to 97.85% removal of ammonia nitrogen. Each microalgae biomass was harvested and dried for further biogas production, although no significant difference was observed, PBR4 presented a higher biogas accumulated production of 204.47 mL. These results suggest that it is suitable to integrate microalgae culture as a wastewater tertiary treatment as nutrients can be recovered in the form of biogas.

Microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus dimorphus co-cultivation with landfill leachate for pollutant removal and lipid production

In this study, landfill leachate was pre-treated with NaClO, and then diluted to 5%, 10% and 15% for microalgae growth of Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus dimorphus in the mono- and co-culture modes to investigate the nutrient removal and growth characteristics of microalgae. The results revealed that landfill leachate with the 10% dilution rate was conducive for microalgae growth and exhibited robust biomass growth and the highest nutrient removal efficiency. The co-culture biomass in 10% landfill leachate achieved 0.266 g/L within 10 days and demonstrated the improved nutrient utilisation efficiency of microalgae. In addition, the chemical oxygen demand, ammonia nitrogen, total nitrate and total phosphorus removal efficiencies accordingly reached 81.0%, 80.1%, 72.1% and 86.0% in 10% landfill leachate. Meanwhile, both the enzyme activity and fluorescence parameters proved that the cell activity of co-culture was higher than that of mono-culture.

Technical and economic evaluation of the integration of membrane bioreactor and air-stripping/absorption processes in the treatment of landfill leachate

A membrane bioreactor inoculated with commercial baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) (MBRy) integrated to an air-stripping/absorption (AS/AB) as pre-treatment (aiming ammonia recovery) or a post-treatment (polishment step) was assessed for the landfill leachate treatment. The effect of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and nitrogen (N) ratio (C:N) on the performance of the MBRy was also investigated. At high COD/N ratio, high organic matter removal in terms of COD (71 ± 4%) and ammonia removal (97 ± 3%) was observed. Lower COD/N ratio favored yeast growth in the mixed liquor even under adverse conditions. The results of ammonia removal and recovery, and economic analysis demonstrated that the best way to integrate the AS/BS processes is as pre-treatment of MBRy. The ammonia concentration in the AS/AB process feed was a key factor to achieve the market specification. Although pH and temperature adjustment were adequate to promote ammonia removal/recovery, the AS operation at high temperatures showed the highest ammonia removal rate (99%). Therefore, the integration of AS/AB with MBRy allows obtaining a permeate with a final concentration of 2902 ± 374 mg L^-1 of COD and 9 ± 7.5 mg L^-1 of ammonia. Although it was possible to reach the Brazilian discharge standard for ammonia (20 mg L^-1), it was not possible to reach the standard for COD, where the remaining fraction is recalcitrant organic matter, requiring the integration of a physico-chemical process. It should be noted that the proposed route allowed recovery 7 kg of ammonia per m³ of treated leachate.

A survey on experiences in leachate treatment: Common practices, differences worldwide and future perspectives

The necessity for landfill leachate treatment is a requisite to reduce the environmental impact related to municipal solid waste landfills and different aspects must be considered while deciding for an appropriate treatment process. For example, it was demonstrated that the landfill leachate stabilization in tropical regions is achieved right after its first year of operation, requiring technologies capable of treating leachates of a higher recalcitrant character if compared to those leachates from temperate regions and same landfill age. In view of its complexity and variability, stand-alone processes (either biological or physicochemical) are often ineffective in attaining the threshold values for its discharge in receiving bodies. Due to that fact, full-scale facilities have adopted integrated routes, harvesting the benefits of both biological and physicochemical processes. The implementation of membrane bioreactors followed by polishing membrane separation process (nanofiltration and reverse osmosis) seems to be a trend in leachate treatment by full-scale treatment plants. This technology is widely employed in China, European countries, and tropical countries as Brazil, generally with a treatment cost lower than the costs related to its disposal in domestic effluent collection systems. From the technologies already employed by full-scale facilities, four integrated routes were proposed for a sensitive analysis considering the treatment of a landfill leachate of different physicochemical characteristics. From all routes, those employing the membrane separation process as a polishing step had a better efficacy in attaining the threshold values for leachate disposal, being that an interesting alternative for leachate polishing by full-scale facilities.

Advances in Biological Nitrogen Removal of Landfill Leachate

With the development of economy and the improvement of people’s living standard, landfill leachate has been increasing year by year with the increase in municipal solid waste output. How to treat landfill leachate with high efficiency and low consumption has become a major problem, because of its high ammonia nitrogen and organic matter content, low carbon to nitrogen ratio and difficult degradation. In order to provide reference for future engineering application of landfill leachate treatment, this paper mainly reviews the biological treatment methods of landfill leachate, which focuses on the comparison of nitrogen removal processes combined with microorganisms, the biological nitrogen removal methods combined with ecology and the technology of direct application of microorganisms. In addition, the mechanism of biological nitrogen removal of landfill leachate and the factors affecting the microbial activity during the nitrogen removal process are also described. It is concluded that the treatment processes combined with microorganisms have higher nitrogen removal efficiency compared with the direct application of microorganisms. For example, the nitrogen removal efficiency of the combined process based on anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) technology can reach more than 99%. Therefore, the treatment processes combined with microorganisms in the future engineering application of nitrogen removal in landfill leachate should be paid more attention to, and the efficiency of nitrogen removal should be improved from the aspects of microorganisms by considering factors affecting its activity.

Waste biorefinery towards a sustainable circular bioeconomy: a solution to global issues

Global issues such as environmental problems and food security are currently of concern to all of us. Circular bioeconomy is a promising approach towards resolving these global issues. The production of bioenergy and biomaterials can sustain the energy-environment nexus as well as substitute the devoid of petroleum as the production feedstock, thereby contributing to a cleaner and low carbon environment. In addition, assimilation of waste into bioprocesses for the production of useful products and metabolites lead towards a sustainable circular bioeconomy. This review aims to highlight the waste biorefinery as a sustainable bio-based circular economy, and, therefore, promoting a greener environment. Several case studies on the bioprocesses utilising waste for biopolymers and bio-lipids production as well as bioprocesses incorporated with wastewater treatment are well discussed. The strategy of waste biorefinery integrated with circular bioeconomy in the perspectives of unravelling the global issues can help to tackle carbon management and greenhouse gas emissions. A waste biorefinery-circular bioeconomy strategy represents a low carbon economy by reducing greenhouse gases footprint, and holds great prospects for a sustainable and greener world.

Influence of seasonal temperature change on autotrophic nitrogen removal for mature landfill leachate treatment with high-ammonia by partial nitrification-Anammox process

In this study, a denitrification (DN)-partial nitritation (PN)-anaerobic ammonia oxidation (Anammox) system for the efficient nitrogen removal of mature landfill leachate was built with a zone-partitioning self-reflux biological reactor as the core device, and the effects of changes in seasonal temperature on the nitrogen removal in non-temperature-control environment were explored. The results showed that as the seasonal temperature decreased from 34°C to 11.3°C, the total nitrogen removal rate of the DN-PN-Anammox system gradually decreased from the peak value of 1.42 kg/(m³•day) to 0.49 kg/(m³•day). At low temperatures (<20°C), when the nitrogen load (NLR) of the system is not appropriate, the fluctuation of high NH₄⁺-N concentration in the landfill leachate greatly influenced the stability of the nitrogen removal. At temperatures of 11°C-15°C, the NLR of the system is controlled below 0.5 kg/(m³•day), which can achieve stable nitrogen removal and the nitrogen removal efficiency can reach above 96%. The abundance of Candidatus Brocadia gradually increased with the decrease of temperature. Nitrosomonas, Candidatus Brocadia and Candidatus Kuenenia as the main functional microorganisms in the low temperature.

Coupling cold plasma and membrane photobioreactor for enhanced fouling control during livestock excreta treatment

To treat high-turbidity livestock excrements (LE), this study suggests a synergistic system coupling cold plasma (CP) and membrane photobioreactor (MPBR). During the continuous operation of the integrated system, physico-chemical oxidation of CP decompose turbidity and total suspended solids (TSS) up to 99.9%. The microalgal concentration of Scenedesmus obliquus in the following MPBR reach as high as 1,944 mg D.W./L, which indicates the residual organic and inorganic substances were actively consumed by phototrophic metabolism. Pearson correlation analysis confirms this synergistic relationship of turbidity and TSS with biological growth parameters such as biomass growth, soluble microbial products, and extracellular polymeric substances. Results evidence that the turbidity and TSS are directly connected to the microalgal growth in this integrated system thus the role of CP is crucial to achieving the LE treatment goal. Overall, this study provides a guideline to support the enhanced treatment strategy to control LE with the production of bioresources for sustainable carbon and nutrient cycles.

Current and Emerging Adsorbent Technologies for Wastewater Treatment: Trends, Limitations, and Environmental Implications

Wastewater generation and treatment is an ever-increasing concern in the current century due to increased urbanization and industrialization. To tackle the situation of increasing environmental hazards, numerous wastewater treatment approaches are used—i.e., physical, chemical, and biological (primary to tertiary treatment) methods. Various treatment techniques being used have the risks of producing secondary pollutants. The most promising technique is the use of different materials as adsorbents that have a higher efficacy in treating wastewater, with a minimal production of secondary pollutants. Biosorption is a key process that is highly efficient and cost-effective. This method majorly uses the adsorption process/mechanism for toxicant removal from wastewater. This review elaborates the major agricultural and non-agricultural materials-based sorbents that have been used with their possible mechanisms of pollutant removal. Moreover, this creates a better understanding of how the efficacy of these sorbents can be enhanced by modification or treatments with other substances. This review also explains the re-usability and mechanisms of the used adsorbents and/or their disposal in a safe and environmentally friendly way, along with highlighting the major research gaps and potential future research directions. Additionally, the cost benefit ratio of adsorbents is elucidated.

Photo-biological hydrogen production by a temperature-tolerant mutant of Rhodobacter capsulatus isolated by transposon mutagenesis

Screening of high temperature tolerant strains is important for photo-fermentative hydrogen production in natural conditions which exhibit wide temperature variations. Hence, a temperature-tolerant strain of Rhodobacter capsulatus was isolated by transposon mutagenesis. The mutant strain Rhodobacter capsulatus MX01 could convert cornstalk hydrolysate into hydrogen successfully, and exhibited better hydrogen production performance at higher culture temperature (33 °C and 37 °C) and light intensity (5000 lx and 7000 lx) than the wild type strain. At 33 °C and 5000 lx, the total hydrogen production yield and rate of MX01 from cornstalk hydrolysate were 3.64 ± 0.18 mol-H₂/g-cornstalk and 40.07 ± 1.70 mmol-H₂/(h·g-cornstalk), respectively. The energy conversion efficiency of cornstalk hydrolysate to hydrogen for the mutant strain MX01 was 10.6%. This higher temperature- and light intensity-tolerant mutant MX01 could carry out photo-fermentation at outdoor settings, which is important for eco-friendly, low-cost and energy-saving practical application of bio-hydrogen production.

Adapting the algal microbiome for growth on domestic landfill leachate

We aimed to improve algal growth rate on leachate by optimising the algal microbiome. An algal-bacterial consortium was enriched from landfill leachate and subjected to 24 months of adaptive laboratory evolution, increasing the growth rate of the dominant algal strain, Chlorella vulgaris, almost three-fold to 0.2 d^-1. A dramatic reduction in nitrate production suggested a shift in biological utilisation of ammoniacal-N, supported by molecular 16S rRNA taxonomic analyses, where Nitrosomonas numbers were not detected in the adapted consortium. A PICRUSt approach predicted metagenomic functional content and revealed a high number of sequences belonging to bioremediation pathways, including degradation of aromatic compounds, benzoate and naphthalene, as well as pathways known to be involved in algal-bacterial symbiosis. This study enhances our understanding of beneficial mechanisms in algal-bacterial associations in complex effluents, and ultimately enables the bottom-up design of optimised algal microbiomes for exploitation within industry.

Microalgae Cultivation Technologies as an Opportunity for Bioenergetic System Development—Advantages and Limitations

Microalgal biomass is currently considered as a sustainable and renewable feedstock for biofuel production (biohydrogen, biomethane, biodiesel) characterized by lower emissions of hazardous air pollutants than fossil fuels. Photobioreactors for microalgae growth can be exploited using many industrial and domestic wastes. It allows locating the commercial microalgal systems in areas that cannot be employed for agricultural purposes, i.e., near heating or wastewater treatment plants and other industrial facilities producing carbon dioxide and organic and nutrient compounds. Despite their high potential, the large-scale algal biomass production technologies are not popular because the systems for biomass production, separation, drainage, and conversion into energy carriers are difficult to explicitly assess and balance, considering the ecological and economical concerns. Most of the studies presented in the literature have been carried out on a small, laboratory scale. This significantly limits the possibility of obtaining reliable data for a comprehensive assessment of the efficiency of such solutions. Therefore, there is a need to verify the results in pilot-scale and the full technical-scale studies. This study summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of microalgal biomass production technologies for bioenergetic applications.

Kinetic Analysis of Algae Gasification by Distributed Activation Energy Model

Conversion of algal biomass into energy products via gasification has attracted increasing research interests. A basic understanding of the gasification kinetics of algal biomass is of fundamental importance. Distributed activation energy model (DAEM), which provides the information of energy barrier distribution during the gasification process, is a promising tool to study the kinetic process of algae gasification. In this study, DAEM model was used to investigate Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina gasification. The activation energy of Chlorella vulgaris gasification was in the range from 370 to 650 kJ mol−1. The range of activation energy for Spirulina gasification was a bit wider, spanning from 330 to 670 kJ mol−1. The distribution of activation energy for both Chlorella vulgaris and Spirulina showed that 500 kJ mol−1 had the most components, and these components were gasified at around 300 °C. The DAEM algorithm was validated by the conversion and conversion rate from experimental measurement, demonstrating that DAEM is accurate to describe the kinetics of algal biomass gasification.

Dechlorination of fly ash by hydrolysate of municipal solid waste leachate

Municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (referred to as the fly ash) presents an important environmental problem in China today, but strategies for its treatment have yet to be widely studied and implemented. The currently available methods for the dechlorination of fly ash are not sufficient, given the amounts of fly ash produced each year. To increase the reuse fraction of fly ash as raw material for cement production, we propose an improved dechlorination method. Specifically, fly ash was leached with the hydrolysate of municipal solid waste leachate (HMSWL) to remove the water-insoluble chlorine. Three-step HMSWL leaching removed 94.3% of the total chlorine in fly ash, much more than the 82.7% that was removed through three-step ultrapure water (UW) leaching. X-ray diffraction indicated that three-step UW leaching could remove Cl mainly in the forms of KCl, NaCl, CaClOH and AlOCl, whereas three-step HMSWL leaching could further remove more water-insoluble Cl in the forms of AlOCl. In addition, the experimental results further suggested that the low pH of HMSWL (4.9) contributed little to the water-insoluble Cl removal, whereas the displacement of organic acid radicals (especially by the butyrate radical) was the major cause of water-insoluble Cl removal. Therefore, HMSWL rich in butyrate radical could be an ideal water substitute for fly ash dechlorination.

Highly efficient reverse osmosis concentrate remediation by microalgae for biolipid production assisted with electrooxidation

Phytoremediation of reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) with microalgae can simultaneously achieve multi-functions of ROC treatment, CO₂ mitigation and microalgae biolipid production. But the performances are usually inhibited by high free ammonia nitrogen (FAN) concentration and chromaticity of ROC. To offset these negative effects, an integrated technique including electrooxidation pretreatment and Chlorella vulgaris remediation was proposed, in which the ROC was first pretreated with electrooxidation to decrease FAN and chromaticity, and then the oxidized ROC was remediated with microalgae to reclaim nutrients and produce biolipid. Results showed that FAN was sharply reduced from 53.0 mg N/L to 13.9 mg N/L and chromaticity was decreased from 1600 to 100 Pt-Co via electrooxidation. Possible reaction mechanism of nutrients removal was discussed via electron mass balance. Explanation on chromaticity decrease was revealed by analyzing humic acid conversion path with fluorescence characteristics. During microalgae remediation process, nutrients removal rate, microalgae biomass concentration and lipid yield were effectively enhanced in electrooxidized ROC. Energy balance analysis indicated that microalge lipid energy under current density of 3.25 mA/cm² basically compensated total input energy despite ROC sterilization. This work provided a promising strategy for large-scale ROC treatment and microalgae biolipid production.

A Review of Landfill Leachate Treatment by Microalgae: Current Status and Future Directions

Solid waste generation has been projected to increase worldwide. Presently, the most applied methodology to dispose of solid waste is landfilling. However, these landfill sites, over time release a significant quantity of leachate, which can pose serious environmental issues, including contamination of water resources. There exist many physicochemical and biological landfill leachate treatment schemes with varying degrees of success. With an increasing focus on sustainability, there has been a demand for developing eco-friendly, green treatment schemes for landfill leachates with viable resource recovery and minimum environmental footprints. Microalgae-based techniques can be a potential candidate for such a treatment scenario. In this article, research on microalgae-based landfill leachate treatments reported in the last 15 years have been summarized and critically reviewed. The scale-up aspect of microalgae technology has been discussed, and the related critical factors have been elucidated. The article also analyzes the resource recovery potential for microalgal techniques with respect to leachate treatment and explores possible methodologies to minimize the environmental footprints of the microalgae-based treatment process. The future research potential in the area has been identified and discussed.

Light-Emitting Diode Power Conversion Capability and CO2 Fixation Rate of Microalgae Biofilm Cultured Under Different Light Spectra

Microalgae biofilm-based culture has attracted much interest due to its high harvest efficiency and low energy requirements. Using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as light source for microalgae culture has been considered as a promising choice to enhance the economic feasibility of microalgae-based commodities. In this work, the LED power conversion capability and CO2 fixation rate of microalgae biofilms (Chlorella ellipsoidea and Chlorella pyrenoidosa) cultured under different light spectra (white, blue, green and red) were studied. The results indicated that the power-to-biomass conversion capabilities of these two microalgae biofilms cultured under blue and white LEDs were much higher than those under green and red LEDs (C. ellipsoidea: 32%–33% higher, C. pyrenoidosa: 34%–46% higher), and their power-to-lipid conversion capabilities cultured under blue LEDs were 61%–66% higher than those under green LEDs. The CO2 fixation rates of these two biofilms cultured under blue LEDs were 13% and 31% higher, respectively, than those under green LEDs. The results of this study have important implications for selecting the optimal energy-efficient LEDs using in microalgae biofilm-based culture systems.

Prospects of integrating algae technologies into landfill leachate treatment

Landfilling of municipal waste, an environmental challenge worldwide, results in the continuous formation of significant amounts of leachate, which poses a severe contamination threat to ground and surface water resources. Landfill leachate (LL) is generated by rainwater percolating through disposed waste materials and must be treated effectively before safe discharge into the environment. LL contains numerous pollutants and toxic substances, such as dissolved organic matter, inorganic chemicals, heavy metals, and anthropogenic organic compounds. Currently, LL treatment is carried out by a combination of physical, chemical, and microbial technologies. Microalgae are now viewed as a promising sustainable addition to the repertoire of technologies for treating LL. Photosynthetic algae have been shown to grow in LL under laboratory conditions, while some species have also been employed in larger-scale LL treatments. Treating leachate with algae can contribute to sustainable waste management at existing landfills by remediating low-quality water for recycling and reuse and generating large amounts of algal biomass for cost-effective manufacturing of biofuels and bioproducts. In this review, we will examine LL composition, traditional leachate treatment technologies, LL toxicity to algae, and the potential of employing algae at LL treatment facilities. Emphasis is placed on how algae can be integrated with existing technologies for biological treatment of LL, turning leachate from an environmental liability to an asset that can produce value-added biofuels and bioproducts for the bioeconomy.

Synergy of biofuel production with waste remediation along with value-added co-products recovery through microalgae cultivation: A review of membrane-integrated green approach

Development of advanced biofuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel from renewable resources is critical for the earth's sustainable management and to slow down the global climate change by partial replacement of gasoline and diesel in the transport sector. Being a diverse group of aquatic micro-organisms, algae are the most prominent resources on the planet, distributed in an aquatic system, a potential source of bioenergy, biomass and secondary metabolites. Microalgae-based biofuel production is widely accepted as non-food fuel sources and better choice for achieving goals of incorporation of a clean fuel source into the transportation sector. The present review article provides a comprehensive literature survey as well as a novel approach on the application of microalgae for their simultaneous cultivation and bioremediation of high nutrient containing wastewater. In addition to that, merits and demerits of different existing conventional techniques for microalgae culture reactors, harvesting of algal biomass, oil recovery, use of different catalysts for transesterification reactions and other by-products recovery have been discussed and compared with the membrane-based system to find out the best optimal conditions for higher biomass as well as lipid yield. This article also deals with the use of a tailor-made membrane in an appropriate module that can be used in upstream and downstream processes during algal-based biofuels production. Such membrane-integrated system has the potential of low-cost and eco-friendly separation, purification and concentration enrichment of biodiesel as well as other valuable algal by-products which can bring the high degree of process intensification for scale-up at the industrial stage.