CarbonLoop BioSystem: A Low-Cost Conceptual Framework for Using Microalgae to Capture Carbon and Treat Mining-Polluted Water in Ghana

Illegal small-scale gold mining, known locally as galamsey, has left many Ghanaian rivers heavily polluted and large areas of land degraded. At the same time, Ghana needs practical and affordable ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This paper reviews published research on microalgae, especially Chlorella vulgaris, and argues that the same biological process can be used for both problems. Microalgae take up carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and many species can remove dissolved metals from water through biosorption and bioaccumulation. We propose CarbonLoop BioSystem, a conceptual low-cost design in which small modular algae culture units are placed on degraded mining land to treat polluted water while fixing carbon and producing algal biomass. This is a review and concept paper. It reports no original laboratory data, and the performance figures discussed come from earlier studies done under different conditions. We outline what is already established, what is still uncertain, and a staged plan for testing the idea locally.