Russian researchers lead team to show microalgae can clean pyrene from wastewater

In Russia, RUDN University chemists together with colleagues from India, Russia and South Africa showed that green microalgae Chlorella sorokiniana can be used for cleaning wastewater from a toxic pyrene. Algae absorb pyrene and at the same time change their metabolism to adapt to stressful conditions. As a result, more lipids are formed in algae, from which safe biofuels can be efficiently synthesized. The results are published in Chemosphere.

Pyrene is a cyclic organic compound forming in combustion processes, for example, in the internal combustion engine of a car. This is one of the most common anthropogenic pollutants. One of the methods of cleaning the environment from pyrene is bioremediation, cleaning with the help of plants, fungi and animals. The researcher team has shown that water purification from pyrene with microalgae not only helps to get rid of harmful pollutants, but also to get eco-friendly biofuels.