A ph.D thesis was discussed at the College of Science at the University of Basra, entitled "The Ability of Some Algae, in Their Free and immobilized Forms, to Remove Some Organic Compounds and Heavy Elements." The thesis, by researcher Rehab Salem Khazal, aims to apply the immobilze technique to two species of green algae and one species of blue-green algae after morphologically and genetically identifying them using two types of biopolymers—alginate and carrageenan—and applying them to the bioremediation of hydrocarbon pollutants and two types of heavy elements—nickel and copper. Modern diagnostic methods were used in the study, such as FTIR, SEM, EDX, GC, and GC-mass. The thesis concluded that the free form of Oscillatoria algae performed better in treatment, while the immobilized form of the other two algae performed better.
