Abstract
For the last few decades, environmental pollution has attained global attention as it resulted in the massive contamination of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Aquatic ecosystems seem to be more prone to pollutants, as they act as a sink for pollutants, reaching through runaway water of the nearby area. Contaminants from water bodies can quickly enter the food chain through the primary producers of aquatic origin. This may lead to serious health hazards to humans and animals through biomagnification. In this scenario, it is essential to find a sustainable solution for the decontamination of the ground and surface water to maintain life on earth in a better way. Phycoremediation is an algal-based emerging technology applied to remove various pollutants in water. It is a low cost, eco-friendly and easily manageable remediation strategy. In this technique, algae are used as agents of remediation, and so far, a number of algae have been identified with high potential to detoxify various kinds of pollutants like nutrients, heavy metals, radionuclides, herbicides, pesticides, etc. Both micro and macroalgae are widely exploited to detoxify various contaminants from the water bodies. Algae are the sources of green energy, serve as a sink for CO2, and are also a rich resource of economically important components, making phycoremediation a promising technology. Even though the detailed mechanism behind the phycoremediation technique is yet to be unravelled, processes like biosorption, accumulation, degradation, volatilization, and complexation are proved to be operating in most of the species. This review analyzes the current status, various mechanisms, pros and cons and future promises of phycoremediation. The role of genetic engineering and also the nanoremediation strategies in phycoremediation are also discussed briefly.
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We acknowledge the service rendered by Dr. Muhammed Noufal K, Assistant professor of English, C K G Memorial Govt. College, Perambra, Kozhikode, Kerala for refining the language of this manuscript.
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Financial assistance is provided by Kerala State Council for Science Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) through research Grant (KSCSTE/5179/2017-SRSLS).
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Shackira, A.M., Sarath, N.G. & Puthur, J.T. Phycoremediation: a means for restoration of water contamination. Environmental Sustainability 5, 25–38 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42398-022-00220-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42398-022-00220-1