Industrial Effluents as a Nutritional Source in Microalgae Cultivation

Background: Microalgae cultures are an interesting option for industrial effluent treatment due to their capacity to use these wastes as a nutritional source in the culture medium, producing a biomass that is rich in high-value biocompounds. Objective: This review aims to explore the industrial effluents that are mostly used as a nutritional source in microalgal cultivation, as well as the concepts of white biotechnology, cyclical processes in microalgal cultures and the bioproducts obtained through these systems. Conclusion: The implementation of wastewater-based microalgae cultivation for this purpose makes industrial processes more sustainable and less expensive by replacing the technologies that are usually applied to remove the contaminants. Through these cultivation systems, substantial amount of water and nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus can be recovered.