A Novel Approach for Bioremediation of a Coastal Marine Wastewater Effluent Based on Artificial Microbial Mats
Abstract
A novel alternative for wastewater effluent bioremediation was developed using constructed microbial mats on low-density polyester. This biotechnology showed high removal efficiencies for nitrogen and phosphorous in a short retention time (48 h): 94% for orthophosphate (7.78 g PO(3-)(4) - P m(3) d(-1)), 79% for ammonium (11.30 g NH(4)(+) - N m(-3) d(-1)), 78% for nitrite (7.46 g NO(2)(-) m(-3) d(-1)), and 83% for nitrate (8.55 g NO(3)(-) N m(-3) d(-1)). The microbial mats were dominated by Cyanobacteria genera such as Chroococcus sp., Lyngbya sp., and bacteria of the subclass Proteobacteria representative of the Eubacteria Domain. Nitzschia sp. was the dominant Eukaryote Domain. Various N and P substrates in the wastewater permit the growth of self-forming and self-sustaining bacterial, microalgal, and cyanobacterial communities on a polyester support. The result is the continuous, self-sufficient growth of microbial mats. This is an innovative, economical, and environmentally safe alternative for the treatment of wastewater effluents in coastal marine environments.
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Microalgae can feed on industrial wastes and the processing energy is less than the energy produced by the algae.
“Microalgae can feed on industrial wastes and the processing energy is less than the energy produced by the algae [20–22].”
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- Authors
- Zamora-Castro, J., Paniagua-Michel, J., & Lezama-Cervantes, C.
- Affiliations
- Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (MX)
- Corresponding author
- Paniagua-Michel, J.
- ORCID
- Lezama-Cervantes, C.
- Venue
- Marine Biotechnology
- Published
- 2007-11-06
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 181-189
- ISSN
- 1436-2228 (ISSN-L)
- 1436-2236
- OpenAlex
- W1999480392
- Cited by
- 24
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 0.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Marine Biotechnology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen Removal
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Waste Management and Disposal › Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Algal biology and biofuel production
- Keywords
- bioremediation, nitrogen removal, phosphorus removal, orthophosphate, ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, cyanobacteria, Chroococcus, Lyngbya, Nitzschia, Proteobacteria, coastal marine environment, wastewater treatment
- MeSH terms
- Cyanobacteria, Biodegradation, Environmental, Nitrogen, Phosphates, Polyesters, Waste Disposal, Fluid, Diatoms, Nitrogen Compounds, Biofilms, Bioreactors, Proteobacteria
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