Drexel University researchers see opportunity in algae for wastewater treatment facilities

In Pennsylvania, a blob of algae scooped from a fountain on South Street almost two years ago, has seeded a crop of the green stuff that Drexel University researchers claim is more effective at treating wastewater than many of the processes employed in municipal facilities today. The algae is a functional ingredient of a bioreactor system designed by Drexel environmental engineers to remove several chemicals from wastewater at once — shortcutting a process that normally takes multiple steps, expensive ingredients, and a great deal of time