Microalgae from the Extremes: Unlocking Their Potential for Emerging Pollutant Removal and Sustainable Water Remediation

Abstract

Anthropogenic pollution of aquatic ecosystems presents a significant global challenge, underscoring the urgent need for resilient, biologically mediated remediation strategies. In this context, microalgae have emerged as a compelling solution, owing to their inherent adaptability to diverse environments and their capacity for efficient contaminant mitigation through bioremediation. These organisms possess the potential to sequester and remove a broad spectrum of pollutants from wastewater streams, including excess nutrients, organic substrates, heavy metals, and various emerging contaminants. Specifically, their metabolic versatility allows these microorganisms to tolerate and degrade complex substances such as recalcitrant micropollutants and hydrocarbons even under fluctuating environmental conditions. This review evaluates extremophilic microalgae as specialized biological agents capable of functioning under harsh anthropogenic stressors that may constrain the performance of microalgal strains commonly investigated for wastewater treatment. Their distinctive stress tolerance may provide advantages for treating wastewater characterized by extreme physicochemical conditions. By examining the unique metabolic pathways of these extremophiles, this analysis addresses critical gaps in the current bioremediation literature regarding the practical scalability and economic viability of integrating such specialized biomass into large-scale treatment infrastructure.