Waste valorization strategies with inputs for microalgae biorefineries: A global review

Cleaner Water Pub Date : 2025-09-03 DOI:10.1016/j.clwat.2025.100125

Mehmet Melikoglu

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Abstract

The escalating global waste crisis necessitates innovative and sustainable management strategies. Microalgae offer a compelling solution, capable of simultaneously treating diverse waste streams while producing valuable bio-based compounds. This comprehensive review systematically synthesizes recent advancements (2020–2025) in microalgae-mediated waste valorization, employing a rigorous methodology across major scientific databases. The literature reveals three primary application areas. Firstly, microalgae are extensively utilized for food waste valorization, transforming various forms of food waste (e.g., digestate, leachate, specific processing residues) into biofuels (biodiesel, biogas, methane), single-cell protein, biostimulants, and specialty chemicals, often integrated within biorefinery concepts. Secondly, they demonstrate high efficiency in treating industrial and agricultural wastewaters, effectively removing pollutants like nutrients and heavy metals from sources such as poultry, swine, and aquaculture effluents, concurrently recovering resources like biofertilizers and biomass. Thirdly, microalgae are explored in specific waste-to-energy/material applications, including co-pyrolysis with non-biological wastes (e.g., plastics, textiles) for enhanced energy recovery, and novel methods for critical element recovery and sustainable biomass harvesting. Despite significant progress, future research must focus on process intensification and full biorefinery integration to enhance scalability and economic viability. Developing robust microalgal strains, optimizing product yields, and advancing sustainable harvesting techniques are crucial. Furthermore, exploring novel valorization pathways for advanced materials and conducting comprehensive techno-economic and life cycle assessments are essential. This review underscores microalgae's transformative potential in fostering a circular economy, converting waste into valuable resources, and addressing pressing environmental challenges.

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微藻生物炼制投入的废物增值战略：全球综述

不断升级的全球废物危机需要创新和可持续的管理战略。微藻提供了一个令人信服的解决方案，能够同时处理各种废物流，同时产生有价值的生物基化合物。本综合综述系统地综合了微藻介导的废物增值的最新进展（2020-2025），采用了主要科学数据库的严格方法。文献揭示了三个主要的应用领域。首先，微藻被广泛用于食物垃圾的价值化，将各种形式的食物垃圾（如消化液、渗滤液、特定加工残留物）转化为生物燃料（生物柴油、沼气、甲烷）、单细胞蛋白质、生物刺激素和特种化学品，通常被纳入生物炼制概念。其次，它们在处理工业和农业废水方面表现出高效率，有效地从家禽、猪和水产养殖废水等来源去除营养物质和重金属等污染物，同时回收生物肥料和生物质等资源。第三，探讨了微藻在废物转化为能源/材料方面的具体应用，包括与非生物废物（如塑料、纺织品）共热解以增强能量回收，以及关键元素回收和可持续生物质收获的新方法。尽管取得了重大进展，但未来的研究必须集中在工艺强化和全生物炼制一体化上，以提高可扩展性和经济可行性。开发强大的微藻菌株，优化产品产量，推进可持续收获技术是至关重要的。此外，探索先进材料的新型增值途径并进行全面的技术经济和生命周期评估是必不可少的。本综述强调了微藻在促进循环经济、将废物转化为宝贵资源和应对紧迫的环境挑战方面的变革潜力。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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Cleaner Water

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