Factors influencing the production of algal extracellular polymers and their application in wastewater treatment and biological flocculation

Abstract:

With the main constituents of polysaccharides and proteins, microalgal extracellular polymers substances (EPS) feature unique structure, large specific surface area, and a large number of functional groups, playing a very important role in wastewater treatment and flocculation for recovering microalgal biomass. In this paper, we introduce the composition and characteristics of EPS, focusing on the biotic factors and abiotic factors that affect the production of EPS, such as light, nutrients, pH, and temperature. The application of EPS in wastewater treatment and bioflocculation is summarized. The in-depth research on the production mechanism of microalgal EPS is expected to expand the application of microalgae.