Multidisciplinary Postgraduate Program in Environmental Sciences, Av. Manuel Nava 201, 2nd. floor, University Zone, 78000, San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain.
J Environ Manage. 2023 Jul 15;338:117830. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.117830. Epub 2023 Mar 31.
Algae play an extremely important ecological role. They form the basis of trophic webs, produce oxygen that allows the respiration of many of the organisms in aquatic environments, absorb CO, and serve as refuge areas and habitats for thousands of species. Many species can also absorb organic pollutants from seawater. Algae have been used for many centuries by humans as a source of food, fertilizer, fodder, and for the extraction of compounds with antifungal, antiviral, anticancer, and antibacterial properties. More recently, some species have been used for the production of biofuels. It has been shown that mixing small proportions of algae with the feed of cattle can reduce methane emissions from their digestive activity by more than 95%. One of the most widespread but least known applications of algae is the extraction of their phycocolloids for utilization in food, pharmaceutical, wine, and textile industries, among others. These compounds have gelling, stabilizing, and thickening properties and are therefore frequently included in creams, ice creams, cheeses, jellies, flavored milks, sauces, shampoos, medications, toothpaste, and many other products. The phycocolloids agar and carrageenan are extracted from red algae, whereas alginate is extracted from brown algae, being used in dental impressions, emulsifying lotions, and paints, among others, and in the preparation of wine and beer. Algae are of particular interest in the research and development of new biosorbent materials, not only because of their high adsorption capacity, but also because they are present in the seas and oceans in abundant and easily accessible quantities. Marine algae are a promising biosorbent for the removal of heavy metals and various pollutants and, due to their intrinsic characteristics, have received increasing attention in recent decades. Their application as biosorbents for the sorption of heavy metals and radionuclides could be interpreted as the use of waste to remove waste. Algae have attracted particular interest in the field of biotechnology for economic reasons, given that large amounts are naturally produced and left lying on beaches as waste material. The composition of algae biomass makes it a promising candidate for an extensive list of applications that continues to lengthen. The development of appropriate technologies and policies can transform the presence of algae in coastal ecosystems from an unpleasant and potentially harmful phenomenon into a source of major benefits. This review discusses the capacity of algae biomass to remove pollutants and also delves into its applicability in the production of dyes, oils, and biofuels and for animal feed and fertilizer industries, among others. Further research is warranted on strategies to convert a biomass that is currently considered waste into a means of addressing environmental problems.
藻类在生态系统中起着极其重要的作用。它们是营养网的基础，产生氧气，供水生环境中的许多生物呼吸，吸收二氧化碳，并为数千种物种提供避难所和栖息地。许多物种还可以从海水中吸收有机污染物。几个世纪以来，人类一直将藻类作为食物、肥料、饲料的来源，并从其中提取具有抗真菌、抗病毒、抗癌和抗菌特性的化合物。最近，一些物种已被用于生产生物燃料。研究表明，将少量藻类混入牛的饲料中，可使牛的消化活动产生的甲烷排放量减少 95%以上。藻类最广泛但鲜为人知的用途之一是提取它们的藻胶，用于食品、制药、酿酒和纺织等行业。这些化合物具有凝胶、稳定和增稠的特性，因此经常被添加到面霜、冰淇淋、奶酪、果冻、调味牛奶、酱汁、洗发水、药物、牙膏和许多其他产品中。琼脂和卡拉胶是从红藻中提取的，而藻酸盐是从褐藻中提取的，用于牙印、乳化乳液和油漆等，以及葡萄酒和啤酒的制备。藻类在新型生物吸附材料的研究和开发中特别有吸引力，不仅因为它们具有高吸附能力，还因为它们在海洋中大量存在且易于获取。海洋藻类是去除重金属和各种污染物的有前途的生物吸附剂，并且由于其固有特性，近几十年来受到了越来越多的关注。它们作为生物吸附剂用于吸附重金属和放射性核素的应用可以被解释为利用废物去除废物。由于大量藻类自然产生并作为废物留在海滩上，藻类因其经济原因引起了生物技术领域的特别关注。藻类生物质的组成使其成为一系列广泛应用的有希望的候选物，而这些应用还在不断增加。适当的技术和政策的发展可以将藻类在沿海生态系统中的存在从一种令人不快且潜在有害的现象转变为主要益处的来源。本综述讨论了藻类生物质去除污染物的能力，并深入探讨了其在染料、油和生物燃料生产以及动物饲料和肥料工业等方面的应用。需要进一步研究将目前被视为废物的生物质转化为解决环境问题的手段的策略。
