Microalgae-based bioremediation of emerging contaminants: techniques, recent developments, and future perspectives.

Rapid industrialisation, urbanisation, and agricultural chemical fertilizer expansion have raised concerns over the accumulation and biomagnification of recalcitrant and emerging contaminants. Often, these compounds are resistant to degradation, and their conversion may lead to generation of even more toxic derivatives, which ultimately makes their remediation a crucial environment concern. Conventional treatment techniques are often considered expensive, inefficient and harmful to the environment; therefore the necessity to shift towards sustainable alternatives is required. Microalgae have emerged as a promising tool for bioremediation, offering cost-effective and eco-friendly solutions. Using microalgae as sustainable approach will not only remove toxic pollutants but also enable the generation of biomass that has numerous applications. Microalgae degrade the pollutants by using biosorption, bioaccumulation, biotransformation, biodegradation, and photodegradation and use their byproducts for their own growth. This review mainly addresses and critically examines the potential of microalgae-based bioremediation processes for eliminating persistent and newly discovered toxic contaminants. For example, Microspora amoena, Cladophora. glomerata, Enteromorpha intestinalis removes heavy metal chromium by the biosorption process with a removal capacity of 66.6%. Like that, microalgae have various species that have remarkable potential of removing pharmaceuticals, dyes, hydrocarbons, pesticides and plastic waste by using mechanisms like biosorption, bioaccumulation, biodegradation, biotransformation and photodegradation. They also have various applications in wastewater treatment and new developments in the phycoremediation process. This review paper also emphasizes on emerging technologies, mechanisms and potential sustainable environment solutions for the future. It may also serve as a feasible door for future research focusing on microalgae and their applications.