Title: Current trends in nanotechnology for bioremediation

Authors: Stephen Rathinaraj Benjamin; Fabio De Lima; Eridan Orlando Pereira Tramontina Florean; Maria Izabel Florindo Guedes

Addresses: Northeast Biotechnology Network, Graduate Program of Biotechnology; Department of Health and Nutrition, Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, State University of Ceará, Itaperi Campus, 60714-903, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil ' Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, 79070-900, Campogrande, MS, Brazil ' Northeast Biotechnology Network, Graduate Program of Biotechnology, Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, State University of Ceará, Itaperi Campus, 60714-903, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil ' Northeast Biotechnology Network, Graduate Program of Biotechnology, Laboratory of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, State University of Ceará, Itaperi Campus, 60714-903, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil

Abstract: Nanotechnology is an emerging field to produce nano-scale products with more efficient reactivity and larger surface area than its bulk phase. These unique attributes of nanoparticles offer immense potential for their application to clean up petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides, and metal-contaminated sites. As compared to the conventional physicochemical methods of remediation of contaminated sites, the bioremediation has been drawing increasing attention due to its economic, eco-friendly and self-propelling attributes. Nanoparticles (NPs) can be either applied directly for removal of organic contaminants through adsorption or chemical modification. They can also serve as a facilitator in microbial remediation of contaminants either by immobilising or through the induced production of remediating microbial enzymes. The present review provides an overview of different types of nano-technologies with biological and plant-based bioremediation approaches.

Keywords: bioremediation; nanotechnology; genetic engineering; recombinant DNA technology.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2019.104526

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2019 Vol.66 No.1/2/3, pp.19 - 40

Received: 15 Mar 2018
Accepted: 09 Jan 2019

Published online: 17 Jan 2020 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article