Bioremediation of tannery wastewater using Tetradesmus deserticola: A sustainable approach

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of Tetradesmus deserticola for the bioremediation of tannery wastewater (TWW), which contains both organic and inorganic pollutants that are harmful to the environment and human health if discharged untreated. The methodology involved culturing T. deserticola in different concentrations of TWW and assessing its ability to remove pollutants over 15 days. The physicochemical analysis of the treated TWW revealed significant reductions in key parameters, such as Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) (93.6%), total nitrogen (93.3%), phosphate (79.8%), magnesium (95.9%), and heavy metals including chromium (92.9%), zinc (82.4%), and iron (63.6%). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis confirmed the effective remediation of carcinogenic aromatic compounds, including benzene derivatives, and the transformation of complex steroids into less toxic metabolites. However, long-chain alkanes largely remained unaffected by the microalgal treatment. These findings suggest that T. deserticola can effectively remediate TWW, offering a promising and sustainable solution for wastewater treatment. Further optimization of treatment conditions may enhance the degradation of persistent compounds.