Organic micropollutants (OMPs), including pharmaceuticals, personal care products and pesticides, are present in wastewater from ng/l to µg/l. They can negatively affect the metabolism of aquatic organisms, such as fish and daphnia, thereby affecting the whole ecosystem. It is necessary to remove OMPs from wastewater. In this thesis, the removal of 16 OMPs from wastewater by microalgae-based technology was explored. The removal processes (photodegradation, biodegradation, bioadsorption, and bioaccumulation) of OMPs were assessed.

The effects of wastewater characteristics, species richness of microalgae and bacteria on the removal of OMPs were also investigated. The knowledge gathered in this thesis will deepen the understanding of microalgae-based removal processes of OMPs in full scale.