Efficiency of Microalgae Employment in Nutrient Removal (Nitrogen and Phosphorous) from Municipal Wastewater

Growing population, industrialisation, and demand for resources put pressure on the delicate balance of the planet’s ecosystems. From alternative sources of energy, healthier foods, cleaner water, and an overall more sustainable economy, the integration of microalgae in various industries, that otherwise are based on practices that hurt the environment, could be a successful solution. To reach that goal, further research is required on the complex relationship between microalgae and growth parameters (temperature, light intensity and spectrum, nutrient distribution, inhibiting factors, and so on). The scientific community successfully used microalgae to produce healthier foods, pigments, biofuel, animal fodder, methods for sequestering heavy metals, toxic compounds from water, and much more. In this review article, we approach the use of microalgae in municipal wastewater treatment, mainly for using nitrogen and phosphorous present in water as nutrients. Data were collected from articles published in the last 7 years (2018–2024). The results show that microalgae are very efficient at using N and P compounds from wastewater, as well as carbon, converting them in high-value substances (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, etc.) with further applications in multiple industries.