Skip to main content

Phycoremediation of Heavy Metals, Factors Involved and Mechanisms Related to Functional Groups in the Algae Cell Surface – A Review

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Strategies and Tools for Pollutant Mitigation

Abstract

The exorbitant usage of heavy metal in industries leads to accumulation in the ecosystem and causes various disorders. Many physico-chemical methods have developed for the removal of heavy metals from industrial wastewaters as well as the polluted environments. However, these conventional technologies are providing expensive, generate toxic secondary sludge, and not complete abatement. An alternative, the biological methods especially using algae for the treatment of metal-contaminated environments provides a cost-effective, rapid, and eco-friendly approach. Using algae (macro or micro) for removing pollutants (phycoremediation) is a versatile approach since algae can adapt easily with any environmental conditions and recognized as a sustainable technology for removing noxious heavy metals. Algal biomass contains a polyanionic cell wall that can bind heavy metals through the principle of adsorption (passive) onto the cell surface and absorption (active) into the cell with metal-binding peptides or contained in the vacuole. Moreover, various factors (pH, temperature, metal concentration, contact time, agitation speed) affect the biosorption of heavy metal. Thus, this review article deals with the abatement of heavy metals using macro and microalgae, factors involved and mechanisms, and functional groups involved in the cell surface. Besides, suggested that the industrial-scale data’s are required for the real application.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

Download references

Acknowledgments

The support of the Directorate of Research and Technology Transfer, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, in funding Internal Research Grant (Code No. ICA 04/2011) to Dr. A. Suresh is gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Arumuganainar Suresh .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Ayele, A., Suresh, A., Benor, S. (2021). Phycoremediation of Heavy Metals, Factors Involved and Mechanisms Related to Functional Groups in the Algae Cell Surface – A Review. In: Aravind, J., Kamaraj, M., Prashanthi Devi, M., Rajakumar, S. (eds) Strategies and Tools for Pollutant Mitigation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63575-6_13

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics