Abstract

Due to the detrimental effects, the removal of xenobiotics from wastewater is crucial. Several chemical and physical methods, including ion exchange, reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, and ultrafiltration, is used to remove xenobiotics from wastewater. Due to its low operating costs and effectiveness in absorbing and/or eliminating organic and elemental contaminants from wastewater, the biological method of employing microalgae has attracted the attention of the scientific community. Chlorella vulgaris was utilised as a biological absorbent for sewage water (SEW) cleanup. According to the findings of this study, C. vulgaris successfully removed contaminants and enhanced the physicochemical properties of wastewater, such as pH, DO, and alkalinity. SEW's BOD, COD, suspended solids, heavy metals (HMs) such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb), and nutrient load (phosphate and nitrate) were all reduced simultaneously. Cultivating C. vulgaris resulted in the effective cleanup of the contaminants. The investigation of Pearson's correlation revealed that physicochemical factors and algal biomass are positively correlated. For eliminating pollutants and restoring the physicochemical qualities of water, the current study supports biological wastewater treatment employing C. vulgaris as an efficient and environmentally beneficial approach.