Phycoremediation as a Strategy for the Recovery of Marsh and Wetland with Potential in Colombia

Abstract

Colombia is the country with the sixth highest amount of water reserves in the world, and 25% of its territory is covered by wetlands. However, approximately 50% of the country’s water is estimated to exhibit some type of contamination related to anthropic activities. An alternative for the treatment and the recovery of its bodies of water is the use of microalgae, unicellular, and mixotrophic microorganisms, as these bioreactors are highly adaptable to the environment, and their maintenance costs are minimal, because they feed on almost any substrate. In fact, different countries have already reported using microalgae as bioremediators for bodies of water. The use of these microphytes is efficient because they metabolize, degrade, or bioaccumulate heavy metals, pesticides, emerging pollutants, and antibiotics. In general, strategies relying on microalgae to eliminate pollutants are very similar to one another. For example, the first stage often includes a process of bioadsorption, consumption, degradation, and accumulation, wherein the microalgae use molecules generated from their own cellular metabolism. Some pilot studies focusing on the phycoremediation of marshes and other bodies of water have already been conducted in Colombia; however, more studies on process optimization, effectively leveraging the biodiversity of the existing microalgae, and better adapting microalgae to the region are still required.

Use of microalgae as a biosensor for bioremediation of emerging contaminants

“…It can recover resources through the biorefinery of microalgal biomass, which can be used to create both high-value and lowvalue goods. In addition to slowing eutrophication rates and increasing dissolved oxygen levels in the water, microalgae growth and application is a possible technique for the recovery of resourceconstrained populations and difficult-toreach water bodies (pigments, enzymes, sugars, and lipids) [16]. Collectively, the advancements made in these fields are quickly enhancing our capacity to genetically optimize the production of specific goods, including biofuels.…”

Exploring the recovery of a large wetland using black‐necked swan blood parameters and body condition 16 years after a pollution‐induced disturbance

“…In this context, it is relevant to understand how to monitor wetland recovery after an important disturbance caused by pollution. Most of the literature on pollution in wetlands has focused on the occurrence, removal, and effects of pollutants rather than the recovery of affected wetland components (Aranguren Díaz et al, 2022; Balogun et al, 2020). Hence, in this research we explore variations in physiological parameters of an aquatic bird species to investigate more precise indicators of wetland biodiversity recovery after a pollution‐induced disturbance.…”