Sustainable bioprocess engineering for integrated inland water remediation and waste-to-product conversion.
Jiang L, Yan X, Wang H, He B, Yan X
Phytoremediation
Algae and aquatic plants growing in the polluted pond or reservoir near you could soon be harvested to make fertilizer or biofuel — turning the cleanup of that water into something that actually pays for itself.
Freshwater bodies like lakes and rivers are increasingly choked with fertilizer runoff, heavy metals, and chemical pollutants. Scientists have found that algae and aquatic plants can soak up these contaminants naturally — and instead of discarding the plants afterward, researchers want to convert them into useful products like soil amendments or energy. The challenge is making this process reliable enough across seasons and economically attractive enough to scale up widely.
Key Findings
Bio-resource technologies using algae, microbes, and plants can remove multiple contaminant types simultaneously — including excess nutrients driving algal blooms, heavy metals, and synthetic organic pollutants.
Remediation biomass can be converted into value-added products, linking ecological restoration directly to circular economy principles and reducing net costs of water treatment.
Techno-economic analysis and supportive policy frameworks are identified as critical gaps; seasonal variability and secondary pollution risk remain the primary technical barriers to widespread deployment.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers review how living organisms — algae, microbes, and plants — can clean polluted freshwater lakes and rivers while also producing usable materials like biofuels or fertilizers. This dual-function approach transforms water remediation from an environmental cost into a circular, resource-generating system.
Abstract Preview
Inland waters-vital freshwater resources and ecosystem carriers-face mounting pressures from eutrophication, heavy metals, and emerging organic pollutants. Bio-resource technologies (BRTs) harness ...
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