Bioremediation Industry: A Microbial Perspective

Bioremediation of environmental pollutants and contaminants in soil is an emerging technology, which will gain relevance and importance in the near future. Microbiological bioremediation is not only cost-effective but also environmentally sustainable, as it does not cause undesirable effects like toxic byproducts or residues, requires heavy infrastructure, has on-site application, and is the least hazardous to human health. With new biotechnological tools, the microbes can be designed to have desirable effects for the bioremediation of more toxic wastes. However, the free release of genetically modified microbes for this purpose is still under risk assessment. This is an effective method to use indigenous microflora and harness their biodegradation properties to remove unwanted contaminants from soil, water bodies, underground water aquifers, ocean spills, etc. Currently, they are mostly used for cleaning oil spills and removing petroleum products and heavy metals from soil. Both in situ and ex situ methods are employed, where microbes can be used in varied ways. Much work is going on to explore and enhance the properties of microbes, especially bacteria, to be used as agents for contaminant removal from our environment. Global bioremediation is an emerging market that is slowly growing and will become a multibillion-dollar market worldwide in days to come. The current review tries to view the subject with microbes in perspective; their role in bioremediation; mode of action; technologies used; and their use for sustainable cleanup of the environment.