4 Conclusion
Industrial wastewater is a major source of pollution and toxicity in the environment,
and bioremediation is an ecofriendly option to treat and manage such hazardous
waste. To expand the scope and efficacy of bioremediation, the future research
should be focused on (a) search for potential microbial degraders for environmental
pollutants; (b) search for catabolic enzymes or genes for the enhanced degradation/
detoxification of environmental pollutants; (c) development of transgenic microbes
and designer plants using genetic engineering for effective bio- and
phytoremediation; (d) selection of suitable plants for phytoremediation; (e) search
for novel rhizobacteria and endophytes for microbe-assisted phytoremediation;
(f) optimization of electrical parameters such as electrical field intensity, current
application mode, distance between the electrodes, stimulation period, and their
effect on the mobility and bioavailability of HMs in electrokinetic phytoremediation;
and (g) understanding the complex microbiology of constructed wetlands for mechanistic view of pollutant removal/wastewater treatment. However, continued efforts
are required to realize the economic feasibility of bioremediation technologies
including phytoremediation at the field.
Acknowledgment The financial support provided by the University Grant Commission (UGC) to
Mr. Gaurav Saxena is duly acknowledged. The corresponding author (Dr. Ram Naresh Bharagava)
is also highly thankful to the “Science and Engineering Research Board” (SERB), Department of
Science & Technology (DST), Government of India (GOI), New Delhi, India, for providing the
financial support as “Major Research Project” (Grant No.: EEQ/2017/000407), which is also duly
acknowledged.
References
Adelaja O, Keshavarz T, Kyazze G (2015) The effect of salinity, redox mediators and temperature
on anaerobic biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in microbial fuel cells. J Hazard Mater
283:211–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2014.08.066
Ali H, Khan E, Sajad MA (2013) Phytoremediation of heavy metals-concepts and applications.
Chemosphere 91(7):869–881
Antizar-Ladislao B (2010) Bioremediation: working with bacteria. Elements 6:389–394
Arora PK, Srivastava A, Singh VP (2014) Bacterial degradation of nitrophenols and their derivatives. J Hazard Mater 266:42–59
Arora PK, Srivastava A, Garg SK, Singh VP (2018) Recent advances in degradation of
chloronitrophenols. Bioresour Technol 250C:902–909
Bharagava RN, Saxena G, Mulla SI, Patel DK (2017a) Characterization and identification of
recalcitrant organic pollutants (ROPs) in tannery wastewater and its phytotoxicity evaluation
for environmental safety. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-0170490-x
Bharagava RN, Chowdhary P, Saxena G (2017b) Bioremediation: an ecosustainable green technology: its applications and limitations. In: Bharagava RN (ed) Environmental pollutants and
their bioremediation approaches, 1st edn. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, pp 1–22.
https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315173351-2
122
G. Saxena et al.
Industrial wastewater is a major source of pollution and toxicity in the environment,
and bioremediation is an ecofriendly option to treat and manage such hazardous
waste. To expand the scope and efficacy of bioremediation, the future research
should be focused on (a) search for potential microbial degraders for environmental
pollutants; (b) search for catabolic enzymes or genes for the enhanced degradation/
detoxification of environmental pollutants; (c) development of transgenic microbes
and designer plants using genetic engineering for effective bio- and
phytoremediation; (d) selection of suitable plants for phytoremediation; (e) search
for novel rhizobacteria and endophytes for microbe-assisted phytoremediation;
(f) optimization of electrical parameters such as electrical field intensity, current
application mode, distance between the electrodes, stimulation period, and their
effect on the mobility and bioavailability of HMs in electrokinetic phytoremediation;
and (g) understanding the complex microbiology of constructed wetlands for mechanistic view of pollutant removal/wastewater treatment. However, continued efforts
are required to realize the economic feasibility of bioremediation technologies
including phytoremediation at the field.
Acknowledgment The financial support provided by the University Grant Commission (UGC) to
Mr. Gaurav Saxena is duly acknowledged. The corresponding author (Dr. Ram Naresh Bharagava)
is also highly thankful to the “Science and Engineering Research Board” (SERB), Department of
Science & Technology (DST), Government of India (GOI), New Delhi, India, for providing the
financial support as “Major Research Project” (Grant No.: EEQ/2017/000407), which is also duly
acknowledged.
References
Adelaja O, Keshavarz T, Kyazze G (2015) The effect of salinity, redox mediators and temperature
on anaerobic biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in microbial fuel cells. J Hazard Mater
283:211–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2014.08.066
Ali H, Khan E, Sajad MA (2013) Phytoremediation of heavy metals-concepts and applications.
Chemosphere 91(7):869–881
Antizar-Ladislao B (2010) Bioremediation: working with bacteria. Elements 6:389–394
Arora PK, Srivastava A, Singh VP (2014) Bacterial degradation of nitrophenols and their derivatives. J Hazard Mater 266:42–59
Arora PK, Srivastava A, Garg SK, Singh VP (2018) Recent advances in degradation of
chloronitrophenols. Bioresour Technol 250C:902–909
Bharagava RN, Saxena G, Mulla SI, Patel DK (2017a) Characterization and identification of
recalcitrant organic pollutants (ROPs) in tannery wastewater and its phytotoxicity evaluation
for environmental safety. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-0170490-x
Bharagava RN, Chowdhary P, Saxena G (2017b) Bioremediation: an ecosustainable green technology: its applications and limitations. In: Bharagava RN (ed) Environmental pollutants and
their bioremediation approaches, 1st edn. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, pp 1–22.
https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315173351-2
122
G. Saxena et al.