Purification of Reverse Osmosis Concentrate Using Chlorella Vulgaris

Abstract

The current study focuses on the application of microalgae, specifically Chlorella vulgaris, for treating reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) from wastewater treatment plants. The study examines the effectiveness of C. vulgaris in removing nutrients, heavy metals, and other compounds from ROC. The ROC samples were collected from water purification plants and C. vulgaris was utilized in the treatment of ROC. The physicochemical properties of the wastewater, such as pH, alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, total solids, and heavy metal concentrations, were analyzed before and after treatment with C. vulgaris. The results showed that C. vulgaris was able to remove significant amounts of nutrients, heavy metals, from the ROC. The study also conducted GC-MS and FTIR analyses to identify the compounds present in the ROC before and after treatment. Overall, the research demonstrates the potential of microalgae as an effective and sustainable solution for treating wastewater and recovering valuable resources.