High costs and issues such as a high cell concentrations in effluents are encountered when utilizing microalgae for wastewater treatment. The present study analyzed nitrogen and phosphate removal under autotrophic, heterotrophic, mixotrophic and micro-aerobic conditions by Chlorella sorokiniana GXNN 01 immobilized in calcium alginate. The immobilized cells grew as well as free-living cells under micro-aerobic conditions and better than free-living cells under the other conditions. The immobilized cells had a higher ammonium removal rate (21.84%, 43.59% and 41.46%) than free living cells (14.35%, 38.57% and 40.59%) under autotrophic, heterotrophic, and micro-aerobic conditions, and higher phosphate removal rate (87.49%, 88.65% and 84.84%) than free living cells (20.21%, 42.27% and 53.52%) under heterotrophic, mixotrophic and micro-aerobic conditions, respectively. The data indicate that immobilized Chlorella sorokiniana GXNN 01 is a suitable species for use in wastewater treatment. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.