Abstract
In the present era of growing population, increased use of water has resulted in the deterioration of quality of water bodies. Increase in pollution may add to the global water stress. Therefore, the need of the time is to clean water bodies by using sustainable and innovative technologies. Biofilm based technologies are of tremendous potential in cleaning and remediating water pollutants. Recently new techniques such as use of filamentous bamboo-based biofilms in the biofilm reactors and use of exopolysaccharides of biofilms for the pollution remediation have gained much importance. Biofilms developed on different substrates with diverse groups of microbes can be harnessed to remediate heavy metals, toxic chemicals, pollutants from pharmaceutical and personal care products, synthetic dyes, organic pollutants, hydrocarbons, and polychlorinated compounds. Periphytic biofilms also play an important role in denitrification process and therefore could be used to remove excess nitrogen from polluted water bodies. In this chapter we have focused on the potential role of innovative biofilm technologies to remediate aquatic pollution.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Accinelli C, Sacca ML, Mencarelli M, Vicari A (2012) Application of bioplastic moving bed biofilm carriers for the removal of synthetic pollutants from wastewater. Bioresour Technol 120:180–186
Al-Awadhi H, Al-Hasan RH, Sorkhoh NA, Salamah S, Radwan SS (2003) Establishing oil-degrading biofilms on gravel particles and glass plates. Int Biodeteriorat Biodeg 51(3):181–185
Alluri HK, Ronda SR, Settalluri VS, Bondili JS, Suryanarayana V, Venkateshwar P (2007) Biosorption: an eco-friendly alternative for heavy metal removal. Afr J Biotechnol 6:2924–2931
Bakir A, O’Connor IA, Rowland SJ, Hendriks AJ, Thompson RC (2016) Relative importance of microplastics as a pathway for the transfer of hydrophobic organic chemicals to marine life. Environ Pollut 219:56–65
Boles BR, Thoendel M, Singh PK (2004) Self-generated diversity produces “insurance effects” in biofilm communities. PNAS 101:16630–16635
Brandy T, Alain M, Matthew AM, Dylan BM, Garrison S (2005) Zinc sorption by a bacterial biofilm. Environ Sci Technol 39:8288–8294
Burek P, Satoh Y, Fischer G, Kahil MT, Scherzer A, Tramberend S, Nava LF, Wada Y (2016) Water futures and solution- fast track initiative (Final Report). IIASA, Laxenburg. WP-16-006
Buth JM, Grandbois M, Vikesland PJ, McNeill K, Arnold WA (2009) Aquatic photochemistry of chlorinated triclosan derivatives: potential source of polychlorodibenzo-P-dioxins. Environ Toxicol Chem 28:2555–2563
Caldera M (1999) 4-Chlorophenol degradation by a bacterial consortium: development of a granular activated carbon biofilm reactor. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 52:722–729
Cao W, Zhang H, Wang Y, Pan J (2012) Bioremediation of polluted surface water by using biofilms on filamentous bamboo. Ecol Eng 42:146–149
Chandran P, Das N (2011) Degradation of diesel oil by immobilized Candida tropicalis and biofilm formed on gravels. Biodegradation 22:1181–1189
Chang CC, Tseng SK, Chang CC, Ho CM (2004) Degradation of 2-chlorophenol via a hydrogenotrophic biofilm under different reductive conditions. Chemosphere 56:989–997
Chen X, Suwarno SR, Chong TH, McDougald D, Kjelleberg S, Cohen Y, Fane AG, Rice SA (2013) Dynamics of biofilm formation under different nutrient levels and the effect on biofouling of a reverse osmosis membrane system. Biofouling 29:319–330
Costerton JW, Geesev GG, Cheng KJ (1978) How bacteria stick. Sci Am 238:86–95
Costley SC, Wallis FM (2001) Bioremediation of heavy metals in a synthetic wastewater using a rotating biological contactor. Water Res 35:3715–3723
Cristina Q, Zelia R, Bruna S, Bruna F, Hugo F (2009a) Biosorptive performance of an Escherichia coli biofilm supported on zeolite naY for the removal of Cr(VI), Cd(II), Fe(III), and Ni(II). Chem Eng J 152:110–115
Cristina Q, Zelia R, Bruna S, Bruna F, Hugo F (2009b) Removal of Cd(II), Cr(VI), Fe(III) and Ni(II) from aqueous solutions by an E. coli biofilm supported on kaolin. Chem Eng J 149:319–324
Dar S, Bhat RA (2020) Aquatic pollution stress and role of biofilms as environment cleanup technology. In: Qadri H, Bhat RA, Dar GH, Mehmood MA (eds) Freshwater pollution dynamics and remediation. Springer Nature, Singapore, pp 293–318
Das N, Lakshmi V, Basak G, Salam JA, EvyAlice AM (2012) Application of biofilms on remediation of pollutants – an overview. J Microbiol Biotech Res 2(5):783–790
DePhilippis R, Colica G, Micheletti E (2011) Exopolysaccharide-producing cyanobacteria in heavy metal removal from water: molecular basis and practical applicability of the biosorption process. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 92:697–708
Edwards SJ, Kjellerup BV (2013) Applications of biofilms in bioremediation and biotransformation of persistent organic pollutants, pharmaceuticals/personal care products, and heavy metals. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 97:9909–9921. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-013-5216-z
Fux CA, Costerton JW, Stewart PS, Stoodley P (2005) Survival strategies of infectious biofilms. Trends Microbiol 13:34–40
Galiana E, Fourre S, Engler G (2008) Phytophthora parasitica biofilm formation: installation and organization of microcolonies on the surface of a host plant. Environ Microbiol 10:2164–2171
Gianfreda L, Rao MA (2004) Laccases: a useful group of oxido-reductive enzymes. Enzyme MicrobTechnol 35:339–354
Gisi W, Hanselman KW, Stucki G, Gisi D (1997) Biodegradation of pesticide 4,6 – dinitro- ortho- cresol by microorganisms in batch cultures and in fixed bed column reactor. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 48:441–448
Gupta P, Diwan B (2017) Bacterial exopolysaccharide mediated heavy metal removal: a Review on biosynthesis, mechanism and remediation strategies. Biotechnol Rep 13:58–71
Hall-Stoodley L, Costerton JW, Stoodley P (2004) Bacterial biofilms: from the natural environment to infectious diseases. Nat Rev Microbiol 2:95–108
Jiang H, Bishop PL (1994) Aerobic biodegradation of azo dyes in biofilms. Water Sci Technol 29(10–11):525–530
Josephine A, Joseph A, Susan MG (2006) Biodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyls by activated sludge obtained from secondary sledge wastewater. AJChE 6(2006):44–52
Kantawanichkul S, Kladprasert S, Brix H (2009) Treatment of high-strength wastewater in tropical vertical flow constructed wetlands planted with Typha angustifolia and Cyperus involucratus. Ecol Eng 35(2):238–247
Kargi F, Eker S (2005) Removal of 2, 4-dichlorophenol and toxicity from synthetic wastewater in a rotating perforated tube biofilm reactor. Process Biochem 40:2105–2111
Latch DE, Packer JL, Arnold WA, McNeill K (2003) Photochemical conversion of triclosan to 2,8-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in aqueous solution. J Photochem Photobiol A Chem 158:63–66
Lau T, Wu X, Chua H, Qian P, Wong P (2005) Effect of exopolysaccharides on the adsorption of metal ions by Pseudomonas sp. CU-1. Water Sci Technol 52:63–68
Lendermann U, Spain JC (1998) Simultaneous biodegradation of 2,4-dinitrotoluene and 2,6-dinitrotoluene in an aerobic fludized bed biofilm reactor. Environ Sci Technol 32:82–87
Löffler FE, Ritalahti KM, Zinder SH (2013) Dehalococcoides and reductive dechlorination of chlorinated solvents. In: Stroo HF et al (eds) Bioaugmentation for groundwater remediation, vol 5. Springer, New York, pp 39–88
Marchal R, Briandet R, Koechler S, Kammerer B, Bertin PN (2010) Effect of arsenite on swimming motility delays surface colonization in Herminiimonas arsenicoxydans. Microbiology 156:2336–2342
Marchal M, Briandet R, Halter D, Koechler S, DuBow MS, Lett MC, Bertin PN (2011) Subinhibitory arsenite concentrations lead to population dispersal in Thiomonas sp. PLoS One 6:e23181
Mathur G, Mathur A, Prasad R (2011) Colonization and degradation of thermally oxidized high-density polyethylene by Aspergillus niger (ITCC no. 6052) isolated from plastic waste dumpsite. Biorem J 15(2):69–76
Muller D, Simeonova DD, Riegel P, Mangenot S, Koechler S, Lièvremont D, Bertin PN, Lett MC (2006) Herminiimonasarsenicoxydans sp. nov., a metalloresistant bacterium. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 56:1765–1769
Muller D, Médigue C, Koechler S et al (2007) A tale of two oxidation states: bacterial colonization of arsenic-rich environments. PLoS Genet 3:e53
Onesios KM, Bouwer EJ (2012) Biological removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products during laboratory soil aquifer treatment simulation with different primary substrate concentrations. Water Res 46:2365–2375
Pal A, Paul A (2010) Microbial extracellular polymeric substances: central elements in heavy metal bioremediation. Indian J Microbiol 48:49–64
Puhakka J, Melin E, Järvinen K, Koro P, Rintala J, Hartikainen P, Shieh W, Ferguson J (1995) Fluidized-bed biofilms for chlorophenol mineralization. Water Sci Technol 31(1):227–235
Qian Y, Wen XH, Huang X (2007) Development and application of some renovated technologies for municipal wastewater bioremediation in China. Front Environ Sci Eng 1:1–2
Rabei MG, Gad Elrab SMF, Abskharon RNN, Hassan SHA, Shoreit AAM (2009) Biosorption of hexavalent chromium using biofilm of E. coli supported on granulated activated carbon. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 25:1695–1703. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-009-0063-x
Radwan SS, Al-Hassan RH (2001) Potential application of coastal biofilm-coated gravel particles for treating oily waste. Aquat Microb Ecol 23:113–117
Rafida AI, Elyousfi MA, Al-Mabrok H (2011) Removal of hydrocarbon compounds by using a reactor of biofilm in an anaerobic medium. World Acad Sci Eng Technol 73:153–156
Rajendran P, Muthukrishnan J, Gunasekaran P (2003) Microbes in heavy metal remediation. Indian J Exp Biol 41:935–944
Rodriguez S, Bishop P (2008) Enhancing the biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: effects of nonionic surfactant addition on biofilm function and structure. J Environ Eng 134:505–512
Scot JA, Karanjkar AM, Rowe DL (1995) Biofilm covered granular activated carbon for decontamination of streams containing heavy metals and organic chemicals. Miner Eng 8:221–230
Sehar S, Naz I (2016) Role of the biofilms in wastewater treatment. In: Microbial biofilms - importance and applications, vol 7. Intech Open Science, London, pp 139–144. https://doi.org/10.5772/63499
Seo Y, Lee WH, Sorial G, Bishop PL (2009) The application of a mulch biofilm barrier for surfactant enhanced polycyclic aromatic hydro- carbon bioremediation. Environ Pollut 157:95–101
Sui Q, Huang J, Deng S, ChenW YG (2011) Seasonal variation in the occurrence and removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in different biological wastewater treatment processes. Environ Sci Technol 45:3341–3348
Sundar K, Sadiq IM, Amitava M, Chandrasekaran N (2011) High chromium tolerant bacterial strains from Palar river basin. Hazard Mater 196:44–51
Suseela MR, Kiran T (2007) Algal biofilms on polythene and its possible degradation. Curr Sci 92:285–287
Verhagen P, De Gelder L, Hoefman S, De Vos P, Boon N (2011) Planktonic versus biofilm catabolic communities: importance of the biofilm for species selection and pesticide degradation. Appl Environ Microbiol 77:4728–4735
Wang S, Teng S, Fan M (2010) Interaction between heavy metals and aerobic granular sludge. In: Sarkar SK (ed) Environmental management. Sciyo, Rijeka, pp 173–188
Wang R, Khan BA, Cheung GY, Bach TH, Jameson-Lee M, Kong KF, Queck SY, Otto M (2011) Staphylococcus epidermidis surfactant peptides promote biofilm maturation and dissemination of biofilm-associated infection in mice. J Clin Investig 121:238–248
Wang J, Liu XD, Lu J (2012) Urban river pollution control and remediation. Procedia Environ Sci 13:1856–1862
Xiao J, Klein MI, Falsetta ML, Lu B, Delahunty CM, Yates JR 3rd, Heydorn A, Koo H (2012) The exopolysaccharide matrix modulates the interaction between 3D architecture and virulence of a mixed- species oral biofilm. PLoS Pathog 8:e1002623
Zhang TC, Fu YC, Bishop PL (1995) Transport and biodegradation of toxic organics in biofilms. Hazard J Mater 41:267–285
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Dar, S.A. et al. (2020). Biofilm: An Innovative Modern Technology for Aquatic Pollution Remediation. In: Bhat, R., Hakeem, K., Dervash, M. (eds) Bioremediation and Biotechnology, Vol 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-40333-1_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-40333-1_12
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-40332-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-40333-1
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)