Room: King Willem Alexander
Date: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Time: 11:30 - 12:45 CEST
Session code 1CO.4
Algae and aquatic biomass production systems
Evaluation of a Microalgal System for Tertiary Treatment of Wastewater Containing Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds
Short Introductive summary
This study evaluates a microalgae-based tertiary treatment system using Scenedesmus sp. cultivated in real wastewater collected from secondary effluent for the simultaneous removal of nutrients and six endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) - methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, benzophenone, bisphenol A and estrone - . After comparing its growth with Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus sp. showed better adaptation, likely due to its preference for nitrate. Experiments in 5-L photobioreactors revealed enhanced biomass production and nutrient removal in the presence of EDCs. Abiotic degradation was negligible, while Scenedesmus sp. achieved complete removal of five EDCs and partial removal of benzophenone. These results support its potential for scalable and sustainable wastewater treatment.
Presenter
Noelia GARCÍA VÁZQUEZ
Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, SPAIN
Biographies and Short introductive summaries are supplied directly by presenters and are published here unedited
Co-authors:
R. Rodríguez Escudero, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, SPAIN
G. Vicente Crespo, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, SPAIN
L.F. Bautista Santa Cruz, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, SPAIN
J.J. Espada Sanjurjo, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, SPAIN
Session reference: 1CO.4.4