Preface
Environmental issues have been always at the forefront of sustainable development
and have become a serious matter of concern in the twenty-first century. Environmental sustainability with rapid industrialization is one of the major challenges of the
current scenario worldwide. Industries are the key drivers in the world economy, but
these are also the major polluters due to the discharge of partially treated/untreated
potentially toxic and hazardous wastes containing organic and inorganic pollutants,
which cause environmental (soil and water) pollution and severe toxicity in living
beings. Among the different sources of environmental pollution, industrial wastes
are considered as the major source of environmental pollution because industries use
cheap and poorly or nonbiodegradable chemicals to obtain good quality of products
within a short period of time and in an economic way; however, their toxicity is
usually ignored. Ensuring the safety of chemicals used in many industrial processes
is a major challenge for environmental safety. The governments around the globe are
also strictly advocating for the mitigation of environmental pollution due to industrial wastes to promote the sustainable development of our society with low environmental impact. Being a low-cost and eco-friendly clean technology,
bioremediation can be an eco-sustainable alternative to conventional technologies
for the treatment and management of industrial wastes to protect public health and
the environment.
Bioremediation is a waste management approach that utilizes microorganisms,
plants, or their enzymes to degrade/detoxify organic and inorganic pollutants such as
phenols, chlorophenols, petroleum hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls,
organic solvents, azo dyes, pesticides, recalcitrant compounds, toxic metals, etc.
from contaminated soils and wastewaters. There has been an increasing concern
regarding the release of various hazardous chemicals along with industrial wastes,
which are considered highly toxic for the environment and living beings. Some of
these chemicals are classified as priority pollutants by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and other environmental pollution control
agencies. The biological removal of a wide range of pollutants from contaminated
sites requires our increasing understanding of different degradation pathways and
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Environmental issues have been always at the forefront of sustainable development
and have become a serious matter of concern in the twenty-first century. Environmental sustainability with rapid industrialization is one of the major challenges of the
current scenario worldwide. Industries are the key drivers in the world economy, but
these are also the major polluters due to the discharge of partially treated/untreated
potentially toxic and hazardous wastes containing organic and inorganic pollutants,
which cause environmental (soil and water) pollution and severe toxicity in living
beings. Among the different sources of environmental pollution, industrial wastes
are considered as the major source of environmental pollution because industries use
cheap and poorly or nonbiodegradable chemicals to obtain good quality of products
within a short period of time and in an economic way; however, their toxicity is
usually ignored. Ensuring the safety of chemicals used in many industrial processes
is a major challenge for environmental safety. The governments around the globe are
also strictly advocating for the mitigation of environmental pollution due to industrial wastes to promote the sustainable development of our society with low environmental impact. Being a low-cost and eco-friendly clean technology,
bioremediation can be an eco-sustainable alternative to conventional technologies
for the treatment and management of industrial wastes to protect public health and
the environment.
Bioremediation is a waste management approach that utilizes microorganisms,
plants, or their enzymes to degrade/detoxify organic and inorganic pollutants such as
phenols, chlorophenols, petroleum hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls,
organic solvents, azo dyes, pesticides, recalcitrant compounds, toxic metals, etc.
from contaminated soils and wastewaters. There has been an increasing concern
regarding the release of various hazardous chemicals along with industrial wastes,
which are considered highly toxic for the environment and living beings. Some of
these chemicals are classified as priority pollutants by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and other environmental pollution control
agencies. The biological removal of a wide range of pollutants from contaminated
sites requires our increasing understanding of different degradation pathways and
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