Tertiary wastewater treatment
Untreated wastewater excessive production causes the contamination of water bodies.
In arid areas, were there is a shortage of water, there is an increasing demand for reclamation and reusing wastewater.
Our technology uses bacteria and microalgae combined for the treatment of wastewater
Making wastewater an asset.

Benefits of using microalgae for tertiary wastewater treatment
Avoid secondary pollution
Efficient use of solar energy – Solar biotechnology
Production of oxygen
Production of useful microalgal biomass
Elimination of xenobiotics and heavy metals
Cheaper alternative to chemicals

Our Technology:
Immobilizing the green microalga Chlorella spp. with the PGPB Azospirillum brasiense in alginate beads, diminish Nitrogen and Phosphorus from wastewater.
Our system
Simplicity; only 3 ingredients+ wastewater
Microorganisms are protected inside alginate beads
Cheap
Cheap heterotrophic wastewater treatment:
- Dark cultivation with a cheap carbon source, or only partial light makes it more economically
- Both Chlorella and Azospirillum can grow heterotrophically on glycerol which assist in wastewater treatment.
Success stories under extreme conditions

Our wastewater treatment system is working under hot desert conditions
Our system was tested successfully in desert summer temperature of 40oC (100+ oF) and solar radiation up to 2500 μmol/m2/s in southwestern USA and northwestern Mexico

For more information:
- Covarrubias, S.A., de-Bashan, L.E., Moreno, M., and Bashan, Y. 2012.Alginate beads provide a beneficial physical barrier
against native microorganisms in wastewater treated
with immobilized bacteria and microalgae. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 93: 2669-2680 - Cruz, I., Bashan, Y., Hernàndez-Carmona, G., and de-Bashan, L.E. 2013. Biological deterioration of alginate beads containing immobilized microalgae and bacteria during tertiary wastewater treatment. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 97: 9847-9858
- de-Bashan L.E., Hernandez J.-P., Morey, T., and Bashan Y. 2004 Microalgae growth-promoting bacteria as ‘‘helpers’’ for microalgae: a novel approach for removing ammonium and phosphorus from municipal wastewater. Water Research 38: 466-474