<![CDATA[The rising consumption of domestic water has largely resulted in urban wastewater pollution by generating an excessive amount of greywater containing surfactants derived from household detergents and personal care products. These surfactants typically lower the performance of conventional wastewater treatment systems. This systematic literature review (SLR) examines 27 peer-reviewed papers published in the period 2020-2025 which study the impact of surfactants in greywater on microalgal growth, biomass productivity, and lipid accumulation. The results show that the response depends on the concentration of surfactants. At low concentrations (≤5–8 mg/L), surfactants can promote microalgal growth and lipid accumulation possibly due to mild stress–induced metabolic activation and partial biodegradation of surfactants. However, moderate to high levels (>15–20 mg/L) cause inhibition of growth, reduction of photosynthetic efficiency, membrane destabilization, and oxidative stress. Moreover, the interaction with moderate levels of C16:0, C18:1, and C18:2 fatty acids helps in stabilizing the membranes. Generally, this review makes it clear that the concentration of surfactants is a decisive element for the effective use of microalgae in greywater treatment and biofuel production, pointing out the necessity for controlling surfactant levels to prevent toxicity.]]>
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