Removal of mercury and lead by Spirulina platensis has been reported by Slotton
et al. (1989).
Cyanobacteria have been considered advantageous over traditional approaches
which require large spaces and produce large amount of wet bulky sludge. In
addition to this, cyanobacteria can be used in the immobilized form. Reports on
immobilization of cyanobacteria in silica gel matrix and their potential application in
removal of heavy metals have also been reported. Gardea-Torresdey et al. (1998)
have experimentally worked out the potency of cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp.,
to uptake copper, lead, cadmium, nickel, and chromium.
Cyanobacteria have vast metabolic activities and hence can be able to treat
complex and variety of pollutants and produced very high value-added products
such as carotenoids, vitamins, biopolymers, and hydrogen during treatment can be
recovered from cyanobacteria. They produce valuable substances for industrial
application such as in medicine, and photosynthetic bacterial 5-aminolevulinic
acid has been commercialized and diagnosed for the treatment of cancer (Abed
et al. 2009). In addition to this, genetically engineered cyanobacteria have been
devised with the novel genes for the production of a number of biofuels such as
bio-diesel, bio-hydrogen, bio-methane, and syngas and, therefore, open new avenues
for the generation of biofuels in the economically sustainable manner.
3 Cyanobacteria in Industrial Wastewater Treatment
Major sources of toxic contaminants in any environment are effluents which discharge from industries containing a variety of organic and inorganic pollutants
and causing serious toxicity in the living beings upon exposure (Goutam et al.
2018; Bharagava et al. 2017a,b; Gautam et al. 2017; Saxena et al. 2016; Saxena
and Bharagava 2017, 2015; Mohana et al. 2008). Rapid industrialization, urbanization, intensive farming, and other human activities have resulted in land degradation,
environmental pollution, and a decline in the crop productivity in agricultural sector
(Trupti et al. 2009). Modern civilization with high-tech lifestyle depends upon the
use of a myriad of natural and man-made compounds, many of which are hazardous
in nature, causing adverse effects on ecosystems including humans (Divya et al.
2015). Several methods have been designed and developed, but more often, these
processes produce secondary pollutants, which again are costing the environment for
their disposal. Environmental management is crucial for sustainable growth and
development. The use of microorganisms to clean up contaminated environment
provides cheap alternative method to the conventional treatment methods. But the
choice of easily grown, viable, and effective naturally occurring microorganism to
do the cleaning is a major challenge. Bioremediation is an emerging and effective
management tool to treat and recover the environment, in an eco-friendly way
(Divya et al. 2015). A group of toxic chemicals released by various industries into
the wastewater are heavy metals, dyes, pesticides, etc.
16 Cyanobacteria: The Eco-Friendly Tool for the Treatment of Industrial Wastewaters
395
et al. (1989).
Cyanobacteria have been considered advantageous over traditional approaches
which require large spaces and produce large amount of wet bulky sludge. In
addition to this, cyanobacteria can be used in the immobilized form. Reports on
immobilization of cyanobacteria in silica gel matrix and their potential application in
removal of heavy metals have also been reported. Gardea-Torresdey et al. (1998)
have experimentally worked out the potency of cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp.,
to uptake copper, lead, cadmium, nickel, and chromium.
Cyanobacteria have vast metabolic activities and hence can be able to treat
complex and variety of pollutants and produced very high value-added products
such as carotenoids, vitamins, biopolymers, and hydrogen during treatment can be
recovered from cyanobacteria. They produce valuable substances for industrial
application such as in medicine, and photosynthetic bacterial 5-aminolevulinic
acid has been commercialized and diagnosed for the treatment of cancer (Abed
et al. 2009). In addition to this, genetically engineered cyanobacteria have been
devised with the novel genes for the production of a number of biofuels such as
bio-diesel, bio-hydrogen, bio-methane, and syngas and, therefore, open new avenues
for the generation of biofuels in the economically sustainable manner.
3 Cyanobacteria in Industrial Wastewater Treatment
Major sources of toxic contaminants in any environment are effluents which discharge from industries containing a variety of organic and inorganic pollutants
and causing serious toxicity in the living beings upon exposure (Goutam et al.
2018; Bharagava et al. 2017a,b; Gautam et al. 2017; Saxena et al. 2016; Saxena
and Bharagava 2017, 2015; Mohana et al. 2008). Rapid industrialization, urbanization, intensive farming, and other human activities have resulted in land degradation,
environmental pollution, and a decline in the crop productivity in agricultural sector
(Trupti et al. 2009). Modern civilization with high-tech lifestyle depends upon the
use of a myriad of natural and man-made compounds, many of which are hazardous
in nature, causing adverse effects on ecosystems including humans (Divya et al.
2015). Several methods have been designed and developed, but more often, these
processes produce secondary pollutants, which again are costing the environment for
their disposal. Environmental management is crucial for sustainable growth and
development. The use of microorganisms to clean up contaminated environment
provides cheap alternative method to the conventional treatment methods. But the
choice of easily grown, viable, and effective naturally occurring microorganism to
do the cleaning is a major challenge. Bioremediation is an emerging and effective
management tool to treat and recover the environment, in an eco-friendly way
(Divya et al. 2015). A group of toxic chemicals released by various industries into
the wastewater are heavy metals, dyes, pesticides, etc.
16 Cyanobacteria: The Eco-Friendly Tool for the Treatment of Industrial Wastewaters
395