Published December 12, 2025 | Version v1
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Potential of Microalgae in Sustainable Water Treatment

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Increasing industrial activity, population growth, and economic development have
significantly increased the pressure on water resources. New methods are being developed to protect
water, ensure its sustainability, and enable more efficient recycling. Traditional treatment methods can
be inadequate due to their high energy consumption, high costs, the formation of potentially toxic
byproducts, and the difficulty in removing certain pollutants from wastewater. Consequently,
microalgae have recently emerged as an important alternative. This study was conducted as a
comprehensive review to demonstrate the potential of microalgae in water treatment, evaluate the
efficiency of existing systems, and examine their applications. The high treatment performance
demonstrated by some algae species is highly promising for next-generation treatment systems. These
microalgae are well-suited for systems such as dialysis, open ponds, photobioreactors, and
hyperconcentrators. A systematic analysis revealed that processes using microalgae, particularly
Nitzschia palea and Scenedesmus sp. have achieved high success rates in nutrient removal, organic
waste treatment, and heavy metal sorption. The data collected demonstrate that these processes are more
efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective than traditional methods. This review aims to provide a solid
foundation for sustainable water management policies and future research .

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