Effect of hydraulic retention time and environmental parameters on nutrient removal in a microalgae-based tertiary wastewater treatment: A yearlong study

Continuous development of the wastewater treatment (WWT) sector towards a stricter discharge legislation, particularly concerning nitrogen and phosphorus, is driving the need for updating existing WWT facilities. Microalgae cultivation is proven as an effective technology for the removal and recovery of these nutrients during the primary and secondary treatment stages, but its application as a tertiary polishing step requires further study. In this study, a year-long operation assessed the effec