Ciencias Exactas y Ciencias de la Salud

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Microalgae-based bioremediation of food and beverage processing wastewater: A sustainable approach toward a circular economy concept
(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2025-12-03) Najar Almanzor, César Eduardo; Carrillo Nieves, Danay; mtyahinojosa, emipsanchez; Luzardo Ocampo, Iván Andres; Gutiérrez Uribe, Janet Alejandra; Chairez Oria, Jorge Isaac; Detrell, Gisela; Santaeufemia Sánchez, Sergio; Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias; Campus Guadalajara; García Cayuela, Tomás
Food and beverage production generates large volumes of nutrient-rich wastewaters that pose severe environmental challenges when discharged untreated. Effluents such as nejayote (from tortilla production), tequila vinasses (from tequila distillation), and cheese whey (from cheese production) contain high organic loads and extreme pH values that contribute to eutrophication and ecosystem disruption. Developing sustainable technologies that mitigate pollution while enabling resource recovery is therefore essential for advancing circular and cleaner production. This thesis evaluates microalgae-based bioremediation as an alternative for the treatment and valorization of these agro-industrial effluents. The work encompasses algae adaptation, process scale-up, biomass characterization, and environmental assessment. A UV-mutagenesis and gradual acclimatization strategy enabled Chlorella vulgaris, Haematococcus pluvialis, and Anabaena variabilis to grow in undiluted wastewater, achieving pollutant reductions of 87–99.9% in nejayote, 31–81% in vinasses, and 35–56% in whey. Although substantial, these results indicate that microalgae are best suited as components of a hybrid treatment systems rather than standalone technology. The technology’s scalability was validated through the cultivation of H. pluvialis in 100-L raceway pond, which maintained high remediation performance and biomass productivity despite minor declines associated with evaporation. The biomass showed significant protein and ash content, supporting potential use as biofertilizer, feed ingredient, or nutraceutical ingredient. Biochemical and functional characterization of biomass grown in nejayote and tequila vinasses revealed reduced pigment and phenolic content due to cultivation stress. However, extracts retained cytokine-modulating activity in RAW 264.7 macrophages, indicating potential for use as nutraceutical ingredient, animal feed, or biofertilizers following safety validation. Life Cycle Assessment comparing a microalgae-based vinasse treatment with the conventional industrial process showed similar overall environmental burdens but substantial reductions in terrestrial ecotoxicity and human carcinogenic toxicity. It also highlighted the need for optimization in coagulant sourcing and energy integration. Overall, this work demonstrates that microalgae-based treatment of agro-industrial effluents is technically viable, environmentally promising, and aligned with a circular bioeconomy, while identifying key challenges that must be addressed to enable industrial implementation.
Phycoremediation as a circular bioeconomy process: unlocking microalgal potential for biomolecule production and wastewater treatment
(Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, 2025-06-17) Lopez Pacheco, Itzel Yolotzin; Aguilar Jiménez, Oscar A.; emimmayorquin; Ingenieria y ciencias; Campus Monterrey
Wastewater treatment processes have evolved in recent years due to the complexity of this residue generated worldwide. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on integrating phycoremediation systems as a possible option for treatment processes. This doctoral thesis seeks to integrate and highlight all the benefits and processes involved in an established phycoremediation system and show its potential to be considered as a circular bioeconomy process. This thesis aims to provide guidance on why these systems can be installed in various areas and what their potential benefits might be. From wastewater treatment to biomolecules production, from microbial control to the reuse of water treated by this system, this doctoral thesis seeks to integrate all these processes through the analysis of previous studies and experimental work. In this research, it was evaluating the conditions of availability of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur) that allow the greatest accumulation of value biomolecules from three strains of microalgae (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, Chlorella vulgaris, and Scenedesmus sp.), to establish the implications of macronutrient variation in the accumulation of biomolecules and to visualize their possible impact on wastewater treatment. Microalgae can be grown in wastewater, making this a circular process, obtaining a valuable by-product derived from the reuse of this waste. In this way, it was evaluated the growth of one of the microalgae strains in two types of wastewaters. Determining by this way, the possibility to use wastewater as culture medium without affecting the productivity of biomolecules of interest for their next bioconversion. Finally, an evaluation of the behavior of bacteria during wastewater treatment was carried out, to determine if phycoremediation process can reduce these microorganisms and thus reduce the chlorination process in common wastewater treatment. This research in this sense shows the potential of producing microalgae biomolecules using wastewater as a culture medium for their bioconversion into valuable products such as bioplastics and one of the most interesting benefits of using phycoremediation as a method of wastewater treatment: microbial control.

Ciencias Exactas y Ciencias de la Salud

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