Chapter 12

Microalgal Bioremediation of

Heavy Metals:

An Integrated Low-cost Sustainable

Approach

Anubha Kaushik,¹ Sharma Mona,^2,3,* Randhir Bharti¹

and Sujata³

12.1 Introduction

Microalgae consisting of green algae and cyanobacteria have a remarkable range of applications,

including bioremediation of pollutants and production of biofuel, bioactive compounds and

biofertilizers. Microalgae have a short life cycle, and can be easily cultured in the laboratory.

Microalgae may be grown either in the conventional suspended form or in the attached form. The

suspended form has relatively lower efficiency for bioremediation, whereas, in the attached form,

they tend to form a biofilm that is more effectual in wastewater treatment and bioremediation

(Hasan et al. 2021). With a broad range of use for various heavy metals in different sectors, their

concentrations in wastewaters are increasing at an alarming rate in the wastewaters and solid wastes,

which ultimately enter the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, pollute the environment and health

is also affected (Briffa et al. 2020). There is a need to eliminate toxic metals from the environment

to safe levels for which bioremediation has emerged as an environmentally sound and low-cost

approach. The part of microalgae in the bioremediation of various toxic metals, various processes

and mechanisms, and the possibilities of adopting a biorefinery approach for wastewater treatment

with microalgae have been described in the chapter to make it an economically and environmentally

sustainable method.

1 University School of Environment Management, GGS Indraprastha University, New Delhi-110078, India.

2 Department of Environmental Studies, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh-123031, Haryana, India.

3 Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology,

Hisar-125001, Haryana, India.

* Corresponding author: drmonasharma1@gmail.com, mona@cuh.ac.in