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doi: 10.18178/ijesd.2025.16.1.1511
Fungi and Algae: A Synergistic Duo for Wastewater Treatment
2Bio-Geosciences and Materials Engineering Laboratory, Ecole Normale Supérieure, University Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco
3Regional Center for Education and Training Professions, Settat Establishment, Morocco
4Department of Civil Engineering, Yeshwantrao Chavan College of Engineering, 441110 Nagpur, India
5LPHE-Modeling & Simulations, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University in Rabat, B.P. 1014, Rabat, Morocco
6Higher School of Management, Telecommunications and Computer Science Laboratory of Industrial Engineering, Energy and the Environment (SupMTI-Rabat), Rabat, Morocco
7Department of Biomaterials, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai 600077, India
8The KU-KIST Graduate School of Energy and Environment, Korea University, 145 Anam-Ro, Seongbuk-Gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
9Clean Energy Technologies Research Institute (CETRI), Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, SK, S4S 0A2, Canada
10Centre of Research Impact and Outcome, Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chitkara University, Punjab, India
Email: lkhnroy@gmail.com (L.C.R.); yassine.ezaier14@gmail.com (Y.E.); ahader73@yahoo.fr (A.H.); ksansari@ycce.edu (K.A.); a.maftouh11@gmail.com (A.M.); hesam_kamyab@yahoo.com (H.K.); hussameldin.ibrahim@uregina.ca (H.I.), mohd.yusuf@uregina.ca (M.Y.)
*Corresponding author
Abstract—Innovation and sustainability are being explored
due to the growing demand for efficient wastewater treatment
techniques worldwide. Modern wastewater treatment methods
often face limitations in efficiency and complete pollutant
removal. To overcome the shortcomings of modern technology,
this research explores the combined potential of fungi and algae
in wastewater treatment. The research employed a
comprehensive methodology, utilizing a carefully selected
combination of fungi and algae in a controlled experimental
setup. Four genera of organisms, two species of fungi
(Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Trichoderma asperallum), and
two species of algae (Spirogyra maxima, Gloeocapsa rupicoig)
are used to react. Examinations are done on water treated with
algae and fungi since there are eight treatments applied as
opposed to just water in the control treatment. Measured are the
bicarbonate ions, sulfates, copper, and iron concentrations. The
findings illustrate the symbiotic link between fungi and algae
and show a notable improvement in wastewater treatment
efficiency. When compared to separate treatments, the
synergistic pair showed significant pollution reduction. This
study provides important insights into a new, environmentally
friendly approach to wastewater treatment, revealing the
potential to simultaneously utilize the unique abilities of fungi
and algae in tandem.
Keywords—wastewater treatment, Fungi, Algae, symbiotic
relationship, pollutant removal
Cite: Likhon C. Roy, Yassine Ezaier, Ahmed Hader, Khalid Ansari, Abderrahim Maftouh, Hesam Kamyab, Hussameldin Ibrahim, and Mohammad Yusuf, "Fungi and Algae: A Synergistic Duo for Wastewater Treatment," International Journal of Environmental Science and Development vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 65-72, 2025.
Copyright © 2025 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).
