School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
University of Sadat City, Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, El-Sadat City, Egypt.
World J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2020 Feb 24;36(3):39. doi: 10.1007/s11274-020-2810-y.
Landfilling of municipal waste, an environmental challenge worldwide, results in the continuous formation of significant amounts of leachate, which poses a severe contamination threat to ground and surface water resources. Landfill leachate (LL) is generated by rainwater percolating through disposed waste materials and must be treated effectively before safe discharge into the environment. LL contains numerous pollutants and toxic substances, such as dissolved organic matter, inorganic chemicals, heavy metals, and anthropogenic organic compounds. Currently, LL treatment is carried out by a combination of physical, chemical, and microbial technologies. Microalgae are now viewed as a promising sustainable addition to the repertoire of technologies for treating LL. Photosynthetic algae have been shown to grow in LL under laboratory conditions, while some species have also been employed in larger-scale LL treatments. Treating leachate with algae can contribute to sustainable waste management at existing landfills by remediating low-quality water for recycling and reuse and generating large amounts of algal biomass for cost-effective manufacturing of biofuels and bioproducts. In this review, we will examine LL composition, traditional leachate treatment technologies, LL toxicity to algae, and the potential of employing algae at LL treatment facilities. Emphasis is placed on how algae can be integrated with existing technologies for biological treatment of LL, turning leachate from an environmental liability to an asset that can produce value-added biofuels and bioproducts for the bioeconomy.
垃圾填埋是一项全球性的环境挑战，会持续产生大量渗滤液，对地下水和地表水造成严重污染。垃圾渗滤液是雨水透过处置废弃物而形成的，必须经过有效处理，才能安全排放到环境中。渗滤液中含有许多污染物和有毒物质，如溶解有机物、无机化学物质、重金属和人为有机化合物。目前，渗滤液的处理采用物理、化学和微生物技术的组合。微藻现在被认为是处理渗滤液技术的一种很有前途的可持续方法。在实验室条件下，已经证明藻类可以在渗滤液中生长，而一些物种也已被用于更大规模的渗滤液处理中。利用藻类处理渗滤液，可以通过修复低质量的水以实现回收和再利用，以及产生大量的藻类生物质，从而为生物燃料和生物制品的制造提供具有成本效益的方法，从而有助于现有垃圾填埋场的可持续废物管理。在这篇综述中，我们将研究渗滤液的组成、传统的渗滤液处理技术、渗滤液对藻类的毒性以及在渗滤液处理设施中使用藻类的潜力。重点介绍藻类如何与现有的生物处理渗滤液技术相结合，将渗滤液从环境负债转化为可以生产附加值生物燃料和生物制品的资产，为生物经济创造价值。
