TY - JOUR
T1 - Bioremediation of heavy metals using microalgae
T2 - Recent advances and mechanisms
AU - Leong, Yoong Kit
AU - Chang, Jo Shu
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support received from Taiwan’s Ministry of Science and Technology under grant number MOST 109-3116-F-006 -016 -CC1; 108-2621-M-006-020, 108-2218-E-029-002-MY3, and 107-2221-E-006-112-MY3.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Five heavy metals namely, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) are carcinogenic and show toxicity even at trace amounts, posing threats to environmental ecology and human health. There is an emerging trend of employing microalgae in phycoremediation of heavy metals, due to several benefits including abundant availability, inexpensive, excellent metal removal efficiency and eco-friendly nature. This review presents the recent advances and mechanisms involved in bioremediation and biosorption of these toxic heavy metals utilizing microalgae. Tolerance and response of different microalgae strains to heavy metals and their bioaccumulation capability with value-added by-products formation as well as utilization of non-living biomass as biosorbents are discussed. Furthermore, challenges and future prospects in bioremediation of heavy metals by microalgae are also explored. This review aims to provide useful insights to help future development of efficient and commercially viable technology for microalgae-based heavy metal bioremediation.
AB - Five heavy metals namely, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) are carcinogenic and show toxicity even at trace amounts, posing threats to environmental ecology and human health. There is an emerging trend of employing microalgae in phycoremediation of heavy metals, due to several benefits including abundant availability, inexpensive, excellent metal removal efficiency and eco-friendly nature. This review presents the recent advances and mechanisms involved in bioremediation and biosorption of these toxic heavy metals utilizing microalgae. Tolerance and response of different microalgae strains to heavy metals and their bioaccumulation capability with value-added by-products formation as well as utilization of non-living biomass as biosorbents are discussed. Furthermore, challenges and future prospects in bioremediation of heavy metals by microalgae are also explored. This review aims to provide useful insights to help future development of efficient and commercially viable technology for microalgae-based heavy metal bioremediation.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.122886
DO - 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.122886
M3 - Review article
C2 - 32046940
AN - SCOPUS:85079157268
JO - Agricultural Wastes
JF - Agricultural Wastes
SN - 0960-8524
M1 - 122886
ER -
