New insights in wastewater treatment by microalgae and fungi

The demand for potable water and the issues concerning the contamination of water bodies are two of the greatest global challenges of the century. Several processes have been proposed for treating domestic, industrial and agro-industrial wastewaters such as bioremediation, which uses either a single or a consortium of microorganisms - bacteria, microalgae, fungi and protozoa (such as aeration tanks, anaerobic ponds, aerobic and anaerobic bioreactors, activated sludge and biological filters). Generally, bacteria-based systems are applied in wastewater treatment, but microalgae and fungi (filamentous fungi and yeasts) need to be explored as alternative in the treatment systems as monocultures, co-cultivation between them or their consortium with bacteria. A lot of gaps need to be researched from biological/biochemical point of view, cellular interactions between the organisms when co-cultivation is applied or in the design of the treatment systems (project, operation, scale-up and technical, environmental, and economic analysis). This special issue aims to gather contributions that analyze the potential issues in considering microalgae and fungi inside the wastewater treatment systems. We invite submissions that introduce novel ideas and evidence-based findings to facilitate the application of these microbiological groups. Interdisciplinary research papers on relevant topics that combine different theoretical and methodological approaches are particularly welcomed.

This special issue will focus on wastewater treatment by microalgae and/or fungi. Papers may include the following topics, but not limited to:

• Isolation, biological classification and biochemistry of microalgae and fungi applied in wastewater treatment

• Wastewater treatment by microalgae

• Wastewater treatment by fungi (filamentous fungi and yeasts)

• Co-cultivation of microalgae and/or fungi with bacteria in wastewater treatment

• (Agro)industrial wastewater application to obtain high-value products

• Process design and operation for wastewater treatment systems

• Aeration and mixing systems applied to wastewater treatment

• Technical profitability and scale-up of wastewater treatment systems

• Life-cycle assessment and economic analysis of wastewater treatment systems