Advances in sustainable wastewater treatment: Microalgal–bacterial consortia process, greenhouse gas reduction and energy recovery technologies

Abstract Because of the low energy consumption of aeration, strong nutrient removal capacity, low greenhouse gas emissions and high resource recovery potential, the wastewater treatment process using microalgal–bacterial consortia is considered as an excellent alternative to the traditional activated sludge wastewater treatment process. In this review, the wastewater treatment process based on microalgal–bacterial consortia and its greenhouse gas emission reduction mechanism are introduced. The potential advantages and constraints of the process in carbon neutral wastewater treatment were highlighted and critically discussed. The environmental impact of wastewater treatment, the research progress of environment‐friendly treatment technologies and the challenges faced by integrating these technologies are discussed. However, the wastewater treatment process based on microalgae–bacteria consortia still needs to be studied. In the future, it is necessary to optimize the scheme for quantifying the environmental impact of wastewater treatment and further expand the recycling rate and cost value of wastewater resources.