Exploring the Role of Microbial Biotechnology in Bioremediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Environments

Abstract

Introduction of heavy metals into the environment has become a major challenge globally as they are toxic to the environment, persistent and may be bio concentrated. Conventional processes of heavy metal remediation like, chemical precipitation, adsorption and electrochemical remediation lack considerations to cost-effectiveness and environmental sustainability. A potentially viable alternative appears as microbial biotechnology, which uses the inherent capacities of microorganisms to detoxify and decontaminate heavy metals polluting potentially contaminated sites. The paper discusses areas to be covered concerning the microbial bioremediation effect in the removal of heavy metals, along with the strategies exploited by bacteria, fungi, and algal consortia to lower the amount of deleterious metals in land, enclosed waters, and salt. The most important bioremediation processes including biosorption, bioaccumulation, biomineralization and biotransformation are explained, with an emphasis on their prospects in building and improving the environment cleanup. Issues of scaling microbial bioremediation processes, including variability of microbial activity and contaminated sites complexity, are also discussed. Besides, the combination of synthetic biology and genetic engineering in fine tuning of microbial strains visualizing them in bioremediation is also examined. Lastly, future trends in microbial biotechnology to remediate heavy metals are described in the paper and it is felt that greater focus should now be given to developing sustainable, low cost, and efficient bioremediation solutions to these heavy metals.