Water pollution continues to negatively affect our quality of life, with contaminants such as heavy metals, dyes, and organic compounds posing serious environmental and health risks. While various adsorption technologies have been used in wastewater treatment systems, existing solutions present several limitations. Inorganic and organic flocculants, such as aluminium sulphate and polyacrylamide, can introduce toxicity. Bioflocculants like polysaccharides and polyglutamic acid, and biosorbents based on microbial cells, often suffer from high production costs and low efficiency. These shortcomings limit their widespread application and effectiveness, highlighting the urgent need for safer, more efficient, and cost-effective alternatives in wastewater treatment.

The proposed solution utilises dead cells of the filamentous bacterium Aureispira sp. CCB-QB1 as a novel bioflocculant and biosorbent. It is the first product of its kind to use filamentous bacteria for this purpose. Unlike existing alternatives, this product is non-toxic and offers a low production cost, making it a safer and more economical option for wastewater treatment. It is particularly effective in removing low concentrations of heavy metals, such as Cu²⁺ and Fe³⁺, which are often difficult to treat using current technologies. In addition, the product can also eliminate harmful microalgae like Microcystis aeruginosa from aquatic environments, offering a versatile and eco-friendly solution for improving water quality.

The innovation of this project lies in the development of the first bioflocculant and biosorbent derived from dead cells of a filamentous bacterium, Aureispira sp. CCB-QB1. Unlike conventional products that rely on toxic or costly materials, this approach introduces a non-toxic, low-cost, and eco-friendly alternative for wastewater treatment. This is the first known use of filamentous bacteria for both bioflocculation and biosorption, offering a dual-function solution that is effective even at low concentrations of heavy metals. Additionally, the product has the unique capability to remove toxic microalgae such as Microcystis aeruginosa from aquatic environments, broadening its application beyond industrial wastewater to environmental water remediation.