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An overview of the potential environmental impacts of large-scale microalgae cultivation.
Open accessAbstract
Cultivation of microalgae for applications such as fuel, food, pharmaceuticals and farming is a rapidly developing area of research and investment. Whilst microalgae promises to deliver many environmental benefits compared with existing biofuel technology, there are also issues to overcome in relation to wastewater management, emissions control, land use change and responsible development of genetically modified organisms. This review seeks to highlight both the positive and negative impacts of microalgae cultivation, focusing on impacts to the aquatic, atmospheric and terrestrial biospheres that may occur and would need to be managed should the microalgae cultivation industry continue to grow.
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“Microalgae production has proven environmental benefits but also potential adverse impacts related to the high water and energy demand, management of wastewater, emission control, land use and risk of microbial contamination (Usher et al., 2014; Mayers et al., 2016; Béchet et al., 2017).”
From Current Status of the Algae Production Industry in Europe: An Emerging Sector of the Blue Bioeconomy (2021) · cites this paper as Usher et al., 2014
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Metadata
- Authors
- Usher, P. K., Ross, A. B., Camargo-Valero, M. A., Tomlin, A. S., & Gale, W. F.
- Affiliations
- University of Leeds (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Ross, Andrew B.
- ORCID
- Tomlin, Alison S.
- Venue
- Biofuels
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2014-05-04
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 331-349
- ISSN
- 1759-7269 (ISSN-L)
- 1759-7277
- OpenAlex
- W2132575284
- Cited by
- 160
- References
- 121
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 2.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Biofuels (publishedVersion)
- White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Leeds
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/I014365/1)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Algal biology and biofuel production
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Bioenergy crop production and management
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Keywords
- microalgae cultivation, environmental impact, wastewater management, emission control, land use change, genetically modified organisms, aquaculture, atmospheric effects, terrestrial biosphere
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