Abstract
<jats:p>Under conditions of increasing anthropogenic pressure on aquatic ecosystems, particularly in industrially developed regions, the development of effective wastewater treatment methods is a key objective for water management. This paper presents the results of a study aimed at developing an environmentally safe technology for the purification of metallurgical wastewater from copper ions (Cu(II)) using the biosorption potential of unicellular green microalgae of the genus Chlorella. The tolerance and biosorption capacity of Chlorella vulgaris and Chlorella pyrenoidosa strains adapted to high copper concentrations were studied experimentally. A pilot technological scheme for the biological polishing of wastewater was developed and successfully tested under pilot-scale conditions at one of the largest industrial hubs in Central Asia – JSC "Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Combine" (AGMK). The economic and environmental feasibility of applying Chlorella-based biosorption for reducing the technogenic load on water bodies and improving water resource quality in regions with developed metallurgical industries is demonstrated.</jats:p>