Cyanobacteria‐Bacteria Synergistic Interaction for Wastewater Treatment and Biomass Production

ABSTRACT The necessity for sustainable wastewater treatment has become increasingly evident due to the depletion of freshwater resources and the prevalence of environmental pollution. Traditional wastewater treatment methods are often energy‐intensive and may not meet stringent disposal standards. Recently, biological systems have gained attention as viable, eco‐friendly, and sustainable alternatives for wastewater treatment and resource recovery. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research on cyanobacterial‐bacterial wastewater treatment systems, the factors that influence their effectiveness, and the challenges associated with resource recovery from the resulting biomass. In our investigation, four wastewater samples were collected from various sources, namely, municipal drainage, spice industry, aquaculture pond, and fish processing industry, denoted as W1, W2, W3, and W4 from different locations of Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The cyanobacteria and bacteria used in this study were identified as Lyngbya hieronymusii and Lysinibacillus macroides , respectively. Both organisms were cultured in the wastewater samples under axenic and co‐cultured conditions. The analysis of physico‐chemical parameters revealed a significant reduction (80%–97%) in nitrate, phosphate, ammonia, chloride, total hardness, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) following treatment. Notably, a two‐fold increase in cyanobacterial growth was observed under co‐cultured conditions compared to axenic conditions in sample W4 FME. The interaction between cyanobacteria and bacteria is crucial for nutrients and pollutants removal from wastewater, with a real‐time increase in the production of cyanobacterial biomass and bioactive compounds, highlighting its potential applications in environmental biotechnology.