MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Bioremediation Potential of a Non-Axenic Cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. for Municipal Wastewater Treatment in the Peruvian Amazon: Growth Kinetics, Ammonium Removal, and Biochemical Characterization Within a Circular Bioeconomy Framework

Summary

Researchers discovered that a cyanobacterium called Synechococcus sp., when grown in diluted municipal wastewater, can effectively clean polluted water by removing 95% of ammonia while simultaneously producing valuable biomass. This dual-purpose approach offers a sustainable solution for wastewater treatment in the Peruvian Amazon, where conventional treatment infrastructure is limited but sunlight and warm temperatures are abundant. The organism produces useful compounds like phycocyanin, which has applications in food coloring, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, turning a pollution problem into a resource opportunity.

Background

Municipal wastewater discharge into freshwater systems in the Peruvian Amazon contributes to eutrophication and biodiversity loss. Conventional treatment methods fail to address nutrient imbalances while generating secondary pollutants. Cyanobacteria have emerged as promising candidates for wastewater bioremediation due to their ability to assimilate nutrients while producing valuable biomass.

Objective

To evaluate the bioremediation potential of a non-axenic Synechococcus sp. strain isolated from the Peruvian Amazon for treating municipal wastewater at varying concentrations. The study investigates growth profile, ammonium removal efficiency, biochemical composition, and pigment production within a circular bioeconomy framework.

Results

Synechococcus sp. achieved optimal performance in 25% wastewater with a specific growth rate of 22.8 × 10⁻² μ·day⁻¹ and biomass increase of 393.2%, surpassing BG-11 medium. Ammonium removal efficiency was 95.4% at 25% wastewater but progressively declined at higher concentrations. Enhanced phycocyanin production (33.6 μg/mg, 56% higher than control) occurred at 25% wastewater, while lipid content increased with wastewater concentration reaching 295.7 μg/mg at 100%.

Conclusion

Non-axenic Synechococcus sp. demonstrates dual potential for effective wastewater remediation and valuable biomass production with modifiable biochemical characteristics. The optimal performance at diluted wastewater (25%) suggests municipal wastewater can serve as an optimized growth medium when appropriately diluted. Findings support development of integrated treatment systems combining environmental remediation with resource recovery in the Peruvian Amazon and other regions lacking conventional infrastructure.
  • Published in:BioTech (Basel),
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: 10.3390/biotech14020036
Scroll to Top