Mechanisms of removing pollutants from aqueous solutions by microorganisms and their aggregates: a review
Abstract
With the public's enhanced awareness of eco-safety, environmentally benign measures based on microorganisms and microbial aggregates have become more accepted as methods of removing pollutants from aquatic systems. In this review, the application of microorganisms and microbial aggregates for removing pollutants from aqueous solutions is introduced and described based on mechanisms such as assimilation, adsorption, and biodegradation. The advantages of and future studies regarding the use of microorganisms and microbial aggregates to remove pollutants are discussed. Due to the limitation of a single microorganism species in adapting to heterogeneous conditions, this review demonstrates that the application of microbial aggregates consisting of multiple photoautotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms, is a promising method of removing multiple pollutants from complex wastewaters and warrants further research.
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Microalgae exhibit great tolerance against wastewater toxins.
“Moreover, they exhibit great tolerance against WW toxins.”
From Microalgae-based wastewater treatment: Mechanisms, challenges, recent advances, and future prospects (2023) · cites this paper as [93]
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- Authors
- Wu, Y., Li, T., & Yang, L.
- Affiliations
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Wu, Yonghong
- Venue
- Bioresource Technology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-03
- Volume
- 107
- Pages
- 10-18
- ISSN
- 0960-8524 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1974634630
- Cited by
- 294
- References
- 81
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 36 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 27 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 1.13
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Bioresource Technology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Griffith Research Online (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-EW-QN401)
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (2009CC006, 41030640, 41171363)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Microbial bioremediation and biosurfactants
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Pollution › Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen Removal
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Adsorption and biosorption for pollutant removal
- Keywords
- microbial aggregates, biofilm, biodegradation, adsorption, wastewater treatment, photoautotrophic microorganisms, heterotrophic microorganisms, mixed microbial communities, water pollution
- MeSH terms
- Biodegradation, Environmental, Solutions, Water, Water Microbiology, Water Pollutants
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