Application of photosynthetic bacteria for removal of heavy metals, macro-pollutants and dye from wastewater: A review

Photosynthetic bacteria not only can be applied for wastewater treatment, but also are used to generate quality added products such as biodiesel and hydrogen. Although many articles have been published on the utilization of photosynthetic bacteria to treat wastewater, there is no comprehensive literature review on this field. Therefore, the aims of this study are (1) to review the ability of photosynthetic bacteria for removal of different pollutants such as heavy metals, nutrients and dye from wastewater and (2) to review effective parameters such as light intensity and temperature on the growth rate of photosynthetic bacteria. Photosynthetic bacteria have a high ability to remove heavy metals, dyes and macro-pollutants from wastewater. Production of photosynthetic bacterial biomass depends on temperature, light intensity and amount of nutrients in the environment. The yellow light is able to enhance the removal of chemical oxygen demand by photosynthetic bacteria. Also, photosynthetic bacterial biofilms can be deteriorated if insufficient amount of nutrients are accessible. Using photosynthetic bacteria is a promising technology to treat different types of wastewater effectively and economically.