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Promises and Challenges of Growing Microalgae in Wastewater

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Water Conservation, Recycling and Reuse: Issues and Challenges

Abstract

Microalgae have been theoretically described as a sustainable feedstock for biofuel production. However, there are still some concerns and obstacles that need to be overcome in order to translate the theoretical promise into commercial and economic success. These obstacles include a high requirement for nutrients and sustainable water source and the identification of affordable cultivation conditions. It has been suggested that growing microalgae in wastewater can potentially offset some of these obstacles. Microalgae can perform a dual role for remediation of nutrient pollutants and biomass production when grown in wastewater. However, there are huge challenges to overcome before this route can be exploited in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner. In the present chapter, the potentials and challenges of growing microalgae in wastewater and its future implications are discussed in detail.

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Acknowledgments

Olumayowa Osundeko is grateful to the Sustainable Consumption Institute Doctoral Training Centre for providing a graduate studentship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Olumayowa Osundeko

  2. Department of Pharmacy, Radharaman Institute of Technology & Science (RITS), Bhopal, India

    Preeti Ansolia

  3. Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India

    Sanjay Kumar Gupta

  4. Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Centre, Umeå University, Umea, Sweden

    Pushan Bag

  5. Department of Chemistry, Chemical Biological Centre (KBC), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

    Amit K. Bajhaiya

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  1. Olumayowa Osundeko
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  2. Preeti Ansolia
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  3. Sanjay Kumar Gupta
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  5. Amit K. Bajhaiya
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Correspondence to Amit K. Bajhaiya .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Rajeev Pratap Singh

  2. Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA

    Alan S. Kolok

  3. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

    Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt

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Osundeko, O., Ansolia, P., Gupta, S.K., Bag, P., Bajhaiya, A.K. (2019). Promises and Challenges of Growing Microalgae in Wastewater. In: Singh, R., Kolok, A., Bartelt-Hunt, S. (eds) Water Conservation, Recycling and Reuse: Issues and Challenges. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3179-4_2

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