Abstract
Due to industrial development, the amount and variety of hazardous substances added to the environment has increased drastically. Bioremediation is the process of using microorganisms or other life forms to consume and breakdown environmental pollutants in comparatively safe products. Because bacteria have a fast rate of population growth and are constantly evolving, they can adapt to live off materials and chemicals that are normally poisonous to other species. Some bacteria can remove chlorine from carcinogenic materials, digest pesticides, and have the ability to decolorize various xenobiotic dyes through microbial metabolism. Other microbes used for biological decolorization are red yeasts like Rhodotorula rubra , Cyathus bulleri, Cunninghamella elegans, and Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Flavobacteria, Deinococcus-thermus, Thermotogae, Firmicutes, Staphylococcus, and Proteobacteria. Construction of strains with broad spectrum of catabolic potential with heavy metal-resistant traits makes them ideal for bioremediation of polluted environments in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The transfer of genetic traits from one organism to another paves way in creating Genetically Engineered Microorganisms (GEMs) for combating pollution in extreme environments making it a boon to mankind by cleaning up the mess that has created in nature.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adisesh A, Murphy E, Barber CM et al (2011) Occupational asthma and rhinitis die to detergent enzymes in healthcare. Occup Med 61(5):364–369
Agrawal N, Shahi SK (2015) An environmental cleanup strategy-microbial transformation of xenobiotic compounds. Int J Curr Microbiol App Sci 4(4):429–461
Akar T, Tunali S, Cabuk A (2007) Study on the characterization of lead (II) biosorption by fungus Aspergillus parasiticus. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 136:389–406
Bae W, Wu CH, Kostal J et al (2003) Enhanced mercury biosorption by bacterial cells with surface-displayed MerR. Appl Environ Microbiol 69:3176–3180
Barton LL, Hamilton WA (2007) Sulphate reducing bacteria: environmental and engineered system. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p 558
Brim H, McFarlan SC, Fredrickson JK et al (2000) Engineering Deinococcus radiodurans for metal remediation in radioactive mixed waste environments. Nat Biotechnol 18:85–90
Brim H, Venkateshwaran A, Kostandarithes HM et al (2003) Engineering Deinococcus geothermalis for bioremediation of high temperature radioactive waste environments. Appl Environ Microbiol 69:4575–4582
Brim H, Osborne JP, Kostandarithes HM et al (2006) Deinococcus radiodurans engineered for complete toluene degradation facilities Cr(IV) reduction. Microbiology 152:2469–2477
Bruschi M, Goulhen F (2006) New bioremediation technologies to remove heavy metals and radionuclides using Fe(III)-sulfate- and sulfur reducing bacteria. In: Singh SN, Tripathi RD (eds) Environmental bioremediation technologies. Springer, New York, pp 35–55
Cai M, Yao J, Yang H et al (2013) Aerobic biodegradation process of petroleum and pathway of main compounds in water flooding well of Dagang oil field. Bioresour Technol 144:100–106
Cao B, Nagarajan K, Loh KC (2009) Biodegradation of aromatic compounds: current status and opportunities for biomolecular approaches. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 85:207–228
Cobbett C, Goldsbrough P (2002) Phytochelatins and metallothioneins: role in heavy metals detoxification and homeostatis. Annu Rev Plant Biol 53:159–182
Comte S, Guibaud G, Baudu M (2008) Biosorption properties of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) towards Cd, Cu and Pb for different pH values. J Hazard Mater 151:185–193
D’Annibale A, Leonardi V, Federici E et al (2007) Leaching and microbial treatment of a soil contaminated by sulphide ore ashes and aromatic hydrocarbons. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 74:1135–1144
Das N, Vimala R, Karthika P (2008) Biosorption of heavy metals—an overview. Indian J Biotechnol 7:159–169
Directive 2000/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2000 on the protection of workers from risks related to exposure to biological agents at work (seventh individual directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC). OJ L 262, 1710.2000, pp 21–45
Divya B, Kumar DM (2011) Plant-microbe interaction with enhanced bioremediation. Res J Biotechnol 6:72–79
Dixit R, Wasiullah, Malaviya D et al (2015) Bioremediation of heavy metals from soil and aquatic environment: an overview of principles and criteria of fundamental processes. Sustainability 7:2189–2212
Essa AMM, Macaskie LE, Brown NL (2002) Mechanisms of mercury bioremediation. Biochem Soc Trans 30:672–674
Fang LC, Huang QY, Wei X et al (2010) Microcalorimetric and potentiometric titration studies on the adsorption of copper by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), minerals and their composites. Bioresour Technol 101:5774–5779
Fulekar MH (2009) Bioremediation of fenvalerate by Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a scale up bioreactor. Romanian Biotechnol Lett 14(6):4900–4905
Garbisu C, Alkorta I (2001) Phytoextraction: a cost-effective plant-based technology for the removal of metals from the environment. Bioresour Technol 77:229–236
Gelmetti C (2008) Local antibiotics in dermatology. Dermatol Ther 21:187–195
Gómez Jiménez-T R, Moliternib E, Rodríguezb L et al (2011) Feasibility of mixed enzymatic complexes to enhanced soil bioremediation processes. Procedia Environ Sci 9:54–59
Guiné V, Spadini L, Sarret G et al (2006) Zinc sorption to three Gram-negative bacteria: combined titration, modeling and EXAFS study. Environ Sci Technol 40:1806–1813
Hara H, Eltis LD, Davies JE et al (2007) Transcriptomic analysis reveals a bifurcated terepthalate degradation pathway in Rhodococcus sp. strain RHA1. J Bacteriol 189:1641–1647
Harms H, Schlosser D, Wick LY (2011) Untapped potential: exploiting fungi in bioremediation of hazardous chemicals. Nat Rev Microbiol 9:177–192
Hasan F, Shah AA, Javed S et al (2010) Enzymes used in detergents: lipases. Afr J Biotechnol 9(31):4836–4844
Holm-Nielsen JB, Al Seadi T, Oleskowicz-Popiel P (2009) The future of anaerobic digestion and biogas utilization. Bioresour Technol 100:5478–5484
Jayasekara R, Harding I, Bowater I et al (2005) Biodegradability of selected range of polymers and polymer blends and standard methods for assessment of biodegradation. J Polym Environ 13(3):231–250
Kelly DJA, Budd K, Lefebvre DD (2006) The biotransformation of mercury in pH-stat cultures of micro-fungi. Can J Bot 84:254–260
Kirk O, Borchert TV, Fuglsang CC (2002) Industrial enzyme applications. Curr Opin Biotechnol 13:345–351
Kumar BL, Gopal DVR (2015) Effective role of indigenous microorganisms for sustainable environment. Biotech 5:867–876
Kyrikou J, Briassoulis D (2007) Biodegradation of agricultural plastic films: a critical review. J Polym Environ 15:125–150
Mejare M, Bulow L (2001) Metal binding proteins and peptides in bioremediation and phytoremediation of heavy metals. Trends Biotechnol 19:67–73
Nazaroff WW, Weschler CJ (2004) Cleaning products and air fresheners: exposure to primary and secondary air pollutants. Atmos Environ 38:2841–2865
OECD (2015) Biosafety and the environmental uses of micro-organisms: conference proceedings. OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264213562-en
Penny C, Vuilleumier S, Bringel F (2010) Microbial degradation of tetrachloromethane: mechanisms and perspectives for bioremediation. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 74:257–275
Richardson SD, Ternes TA (2011) Water analysis: emerging contaminants and current issues. Anal Chem 83:4614–4648
Roane TM, Pepper IL (2000) Microorganisms and metal pollution. In: Maier RM, Pepper IL, Gerba CP (eds) Environmental microbiology. Academic, London, p 55
Rojas LA, Yanez C, Gonzalez M et al (2011) Characterization of the metabolically modified heavy metal-resistant Cupriavidus metallidurans strain MSR33 generated for mercury bioremediation. PLoS One 6:e17555
Sahrani FK, Ibrahim Z, Yahya A et al (2008) Isolation and identification of marine sulphate reducing bacteria, Desulfovibrio sp. and Citrobacter freundii from Pasir Gudang, Malaysia. Science 47:365–371
Sarikaya M, Tamerler C, Jen AK et al (2003) Molecular biomimetics: nanotechnology through biology. Nat Mater 2:577–585
Schwarzenbach R, Egli T, Hofstetter TB et al (2010) Global water pollution and human health. Annu Rev Environ Res 35:109–136
Shimao M (2001) Biodegradation of plastics. Curr Opin Biotechnol 12:242–247
Singh R, Singh P, Sharma R (2014) Microorganism as a tool of bioremediation technology for cleaning environment: a review. Proc Int Acad Ecol Environ Sci 4(1):1–6
Sone Y, Mochizuki Y, Koizawa K et al (2013) Mercurial resistance determinants in Pseudomonas strain K-62 plasmid pMR68. AMB Express 3:Article 41
Spök A (2009) Environmental, health and legal aspects of cleaners containing living microbes as active ingredients. IFZ–Inter-University Research Centre for Technology, Work and Culture Schlögelgasse 28010 Graz, Austria
Talos K, Pager C, Tonk S et al (2009) Cadmium biosorption on native Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells in aqueous suspension. Acta Univ Sapientiae Agric Environ 1:20–30
Tang CY, Criddle QS, Fu CS et al (2007) Effect of flux and technique. Biol Med 1(3):1–6
Thavasi R (2011) Microbial biosurfactants: from an environment application point of view. J Bioremed Biodegr 2:Article 104e
Tigini V, Prigione V, Giansanti P et al (2010) Fungal biosorption, an innovative treatment for the decolourization and detoxification of textile effluents. Water 2:550–565
Van Agteren MH, Keuning S et al (1998) Handbook on biodegradation and biological treatment of hazardous organic compounds. Kluwer, Dordrecht
Verma N, Singh M (2005) Biosensors for heavy metals. J Biometals 18:121–129
Vishwanathan B (2009) Nanomaterials. Narosa Publishing House Pvt Ltd., New Delhi
Wassenaar TM, Klein G (2008) Safety aspects and implications of regulation of probiotic bacteria in food and food supplements. J Food Prot 71:1734–1741
Wilson L, Bouwer E (1997) Biodegradation of aromatic compounds under mixed oxygen/denitrifying conditions: a review. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 18:116–130
Wu CH, Wood TK, Mulchandani A et al (2006) Engineering plant-microbe symbiosis for rhizoremediation of heavy metals. Appl Environ Microbiol 72:1129–1134
Xingzu W, Xiang C, Dezhi S et al (2008) Biodecolorization and partial mineralization of reactive black 5 by a strain of Rhodopseudomonas palustris. J Environ Sc 20:1218–1225
Xiuyan L, Ji Z, Jiandong J et al (2011) Biochemical degradation pathway of reactive blue 13 by Candida rugopelliculosa HXL-2. Int Biodeter Biodegr 65:135–141
Zhang C, Bennett GN (2005) Biodegradation of xenobiotics by anaerobic bacteria. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 67:600–618
Acknowledgements
Authors are grateful to Dr. Ashok K. Chauhan, Founder President and Mr. Atul Chauhan, Chancellor, Amity University UP, Noida, India for the encouragement, research facilities, and financial support.
Conflict of interest: Authors hereby declare no conflict of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Gupta, C., Prakash, D., Gupta, S. (2018). Microbes: “A Tribute” to Clean Environment. In: Jindal, T. (eds) Paradigms in Pollution Prevention. SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58415-7_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58415-7_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-58414-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-58415-7
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)