Microalgal Treatment of Leachate and Wastewater and Methane Production of the Harvested Biomass

Abstract

Microalgae-based treatment systems represent a promising avenue for simultaneous wastewater treatment and resource recovery. In these systems, microalgae play a vital role by absorbing nutrients and generating oxygen, thereby enhancing water quality. Additionally, the harvested microalgae biomass can be used to produce biofuels and other valuable bioproducts. However, downstream processing of microalgal biomass remains a key challenge in advancing wastewater derived microalgae. Within this framework, anaerobic digestion emerges as a well-established and widely recognized technology for converting microalgae biomass into bioenergy. Nevertheless, the anaerobic digestion of microalgae is mainly hindered by their robust cell walls, resulting in limited methane production potential and a reduced conversion rate. Furthermore, it's noteworthy that microalgae possess a high protein content, which can lead to the inhibition of anaerobic digestion process due to ammonia nitrogen. This study aims to treat leachate and wastewater using microalgae and improve anaerobic digestion of harvested microalgae by using different approaches.