Chapter 13
Phycoremediation of Heavy Metals, Factors
Involved and Mechanisms Related
to Functional Groups in the Algae Cell
Surface – A Review
Abate Ayele, Arumuganainar Suresh , and Solomon Benor
Abstract The exorbitant usage of heavy metal in industries leads to accumulation in
the ecosystem and causes various disorders. Many physico-chemical methods have
developed for the removal of heavy metals from industrial wastewaters as well as the
polluted environments. However, these conventional technologies are providing
expensive, generate toxic secondary sludge, and not complete abatement. An alternative, the biological methods especially using algae for the treatment of metalcontaminated environments provides a cost-effective, rapid, and eco-friendly
approach. Using algae (macro or micro) for removing pollutants (phycoremediation)
is a versatile approach since algae can adapt easily with any environmental conditions and recognized as a sustainable technology for removing noxious heavy
metals. Algal biomass contains a polyanionic cell wall that can bind heavy metals
through the principle of adsorption (passive) onto the cell surface and absorption
(active) into the cell with metal-binding peptides or contained in the vacuole.
Moreover, various factors (pH, temperature, metal concentration, contact time,
agitation speed) affect the biosorption of heavy metal. Thus, this review article
deals with the abatement of heavy metals using macro and microalgae, factors
A. Ayele
Department of Biotechnology, College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa
Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
A. Suresh (*)
Department of Biotechnology, College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa
Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Research – The
University for Innovation, Gujarat, India
e-mail: suresh.suresh@aastu.edu.et
S. Benor
Department of Biotechnology, College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa
Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Office of Science and Research Affair Director General, Ministry of Science and Higher
Education, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. Aravind et al. (eds.), Strategies and Tools for Pollutant Mitigation,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63575-6_13
269
Phycoremediation of Heavy Metals, Factors
Involved and Mechanisms Related
to Functional Groups in the Algae Cell
Surface – A Review
Abate Ayele, Arumuganainar Suresh , and Solomon Benor
Abstract The exorbitant usage of heavy metal in industries leads to accumulation in
the ecosystem and causes various disorders. Many physico-chemical methods have
developed for the removal of heavy metals from industrial wastewaters as well as the
polluted environments. However, these conventional technologies are providing
expensive, generate toxic secondary sludge, and not complete abatement. An alternative, the biological methods especially using algae for the treatment of metalcontaminated environments provides a cost-effective, rapid, and eco-friendly
approach. Using algae (macro or micro) for removing pollutants (phycoremediation)
is a versatile approach since algae can adapt easily with any environmental conditions and recognized as a sustainable technology for removing noxious heavy
metals. Algal biomass contains a polyanionic cell wall that can bind heavy metals
through the principle of adsorption (passive) onto the cell surface and absorption
(active) into the cell with metal-binding peptides or contained in the vacuole.
Moreover, various factors (pH, temperature, metal concentration, contact time,
agitation speed) affect the biosorption of heavy metal. Thus, this review article
deals with the abatement of heavy metals using macro and microalgae, factors
A. Ayele
Department of Biotechnology, College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa
Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
A. Suresh (*)
Department of Biotechnology, College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa
Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Institute of Advanced Research – The
University for Innovation, Gujarat, India
e-mail: suresh.suresh@aastu.edu.et
S. Benor
Department of Biotechnology, College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa
Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Office of Science and Research Affair Director General, Ministry of Science and Higher
Education, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. Aravind et al. (eds.), Strategies and Tools for Pollutant Mitigation,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63575-6_13
269