Bioremediation of Hydrocarbon Pollutants: Recent Promising Sustainable Approaches, Scope, and Challenges

The increasing population density and industrialization are adversely affecting the environment globally. The contamination of the soil, agricultural lands, and water bodies with petroleum wastes and other hydrocarbon pollutants has become a serious environmental concern as perceived by the impacts on the aquatic and marine ecosystem. Various investigations have provided novel insights into the significant roles of microbial activities in the cleanup of hydrocarbon contaminants. However, the burden of these pollutants is expected to increase many folds in the next decade. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate and develop low-cost technologies rapidly, focusing on eco-sustainable development. An understanding of the details of biodegradation mechanisms paves the way for enhancing the efficiency of bioremediation technology. The current article reviews the applicability of various bioremediation processes, biodegradation pathways, and treatments, and the role of microbial activities in achieving efficient eco-sustainable bioremediation of hydrocarbon pollutants. It is envisaged that an integrated bioremediation approach, including biostimulation and bioaugmentation is preferably advocated for the cost-effective removal of toxic petroleum hydrocarbons and their derivatives.

[1]  I. Lange,et al.  Analyzing Physical-Mechanical and Hydrophysical Properties of Sandy Soils Exposed to Long-Term Hydrocarbon Contamination , 2023, Sustainability.

[2]  M. Kantar,et al.  Biochar Production, Modification, and Its Uses in Soil Remediation: A Review , 2023, Sustainability.

[3]  L. Pandey,et al.  Biodegradation kinetics of binary mixture of Hexadecane and Phenanthrene by the bacterial microconsortium. , 2022, Bioresource technology.

[4]  Manish Kumar,et al.  Role of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria in boosting the phytoremediation of stressed soils: Opportunities, challenges, and prospects. , 2022, Chemosphere.

[5]  B. Deepanraj,et al.  Immobilization of enzymes for bioremediation: A future remedial and mitigating strategy. , 2022, Environmental research.

[6]  K. P. Gopinath,et al.  Bioremediation of organic pollutants: a mini review on current and critical strategies for wastewater treatment , 2022, Archives of Microbiology.

[7]  R. Parra-Saldívar,et al.  Sustainable strategies for combating hydrocarbon pollution: Special emphasis on mobil oil bioremediation. , 2022, The Science of the total environment.

[8]  Y. Tong,et al.  Omics approaches in bioremediation of environmental contaminants: An integrated approach for environmental safety and sustainability. , 2022, Environmental research.

[9]  M. Vasudevan,et al.  Towards achieving sustainable bioplastics production and nutrient recovery from wastewater—a comprehensive overview on polyhydroxybutyrate , 2022, Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery.

[10]  M. Kumar,et al.  Chemo-metric engineering designs for deciphering the biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. , 2021, Journal of hazardous materials.

[11]  W. Fragoso,et al.  Applications of chemometrics in oil spill studies , 2021, Microchemical Journal.

[12]  S. Okoro,et al.  Bioremediation, Biostimulation and Bioaugmention: A Review , 2020 .

[13]  W. N. Chen,et al.  Bioactive peptides from food fermentation: A comprehensive review of their sources, bioactivities, applications, and future development. , 2020, Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety.

[14]  Enespa,et al.  Microbial lipases and their industrial applications: a comprehensive review , 2020, Microbial Cell Factories.

[15]  B. Fei-Baffoe,et al.  Synergistic effects of compost, cow bile and bacterial culture on bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated drill mud waste. , 2020, Environmental pollution.

[16]  M. D. Pérez-Murcia,et al.  Olive mill wastewater-evaporation ponds long term stored: Integrated assessment of in situ bioremediation strategies based on composting and vermicomposting. , 2020, Journal of hazardous materials.

[17]  Yan Zhang,et al.  The crucial role of bacterial laccases in the bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons , 2020, World journal of microbiology & biotechnology.

[18]  S. Hosseini,et al.  Bioremediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons by Using a Two-Step Inoculation Composting Process Scaled-Up from a Mineral-Based Medium: Effect of Biostimulation of an Indigenous Bacterial Strain , 2020, Waste and Biomass Valorization.

[19]  Rizqi Puteri Mahyudin,et al.  Bioremediation of Iron on Diamond Post Mining Soil Using Compost Made from Cow Manure and Traditional Market Organic Waste , 2020 .

[20]  Antoni Sánchez,et al.  Bioremediation of PAH-Contaminated Soils: Process Enhancement through Composting/Compost , 2020, Applied Sciences.

[21]  B. Xi,et al.  Biogas slurry as an activator for the remediation of petroleum contaminated soils through composting mediated by humic acid. , 2020, The Science of the total environment.

[22]  J. Villaseñor,et al.  Effective scale-up of oily sludge bioremediation from a culture-based medium to a two-phase composting system using an isolated hydrocarbon-degrading bacterium: effect of two-step bioaugmentation , 2020 .

[23]  M. Tighe,et al.  Bioaccessibility constrains the co-composting bioremediation of field aged PAH contaminated soils , 2020 .

[24]  J. Villaseñor,et al.  Biodegradation of heavy oily sludge by a two-step inoculation composting process using synergistic effect of indigenous isolated bacteria , 2020 .

[25]  S. Hosseini,et al.  Effect of two-step bioaugmentation of an indigenous bacterial strain isolated from oily waste sludge on petroleum hydrocarbons biodegradation: Scaling-up from a liquid mineral medium to a two-stage composting process , 2020 .

[26]  Aziz Ahmed,et al.  Remediation of soil and water contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbon: A review , 2020 .

[27]  J. Villaseñor,et al.  Effect of competition between petroleum-degrading bacteria and indigenous compost microorganisms on the efficiency of petroleum sludge bioremediation: Field application of mineral-based culture in the composting process. , 2020, Journal of environmental management.

[28]  K. Kuča,et al.  Δ-FeOOH as Support for Immobilization Peroxidase: Optimization via a Chemometric Approach , 2020, Molecules.

[29]  J. Li.  Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Improves the Anaerobic Biodegradation of Benz [α] Anthracene in Sludge Via Boosting the Microbial Activity and Bioavailability , 2020 .

[30]  R. Moral,et al.  Bioremediation of Olive Mill Wastewater sediments in evaporation ponds through in situ composting assisted by bioaugmentation. , 2019, The Science of the total environment.

[31]  G. Zeng,et al.  Responses of enzymatic activity and microbial communities to biochar/compost amendment in sulfamethoxazole polluted wetland soil. , 2019, Journal of hazardous materials.

[32]  Peng Cui,et al.  Molecular Modification of Fluoroquinolone-Biodegrading Enzymes Based on Molecular Docking and Homology Modelling , 2019, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[33]  C. Jefcoate,et al.  Cytochrome P450 Monooxygenase-Mediated Metabolic Utilization of Benzo[a]Pyrene by Aspergillus Species , 2019, mBio.

[34]  Vivek T. Natarajan,et al.  Myg1 exonuclease couples the nuclear and mitochondrial translational programs through RNA processing , 2019, Nucleic acids research.

[35]  H. Zabed,et al.  Recent advances in biological pretreatment of microalgae and lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel production , 2019, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.

[36]  Rakesh Sharma,et al.  Role of DHH superfamily proteins in nucleic acids metabolism and stress tolerance in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. , 2019, International journal of biological macromolecules.

[37]  Jia Feng,et al.  Co-immobilization of laccase and ABTS onto novel dual-functionalized cellulose beads for highly improved biodegradation of indole. , 2019, Journal of hazardous materials.

[38]  I. Matter,et al.  Development of peroxidase enzyme immobilized magnetic nanoparticles for bioremediation of textile wastewater dye , 2019, Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering.

[39]  A. A. de Castro,et al.  Asymmetric biodegradation of the nerve agents Sarin and VX by human dUTPase: chemometrics, molecular docking and hybrid QM/MM calculations , 2019, Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics.

[40]  P. Petrov,et al.  Biodegradation of crude oil hydrocarbons by a newly isolated biosurfactant producing strain , 2019, Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment.

[41]  F. Shakerian,et al.  Recent development in the application of immobilized oxidative enzymes for bioremediation of hazardous micropollutants - A review. , 2019, Chemosphere.

[42]  Aqib Hassan Ali Khan,et al.  Combined application of biochar, compost, and bacterial consortia with Italian ryegrass enhanced phytoremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil , 2018, Environmental and Experimental Botany.

[43]  Jae-Hyuk Yu,et al.  Bioremediation and microbial metabolism of benzo(a)pyrene , 2018, Molecular microbiology.

[44]  M. Dotaniya,et al.  Soil Pollution - An Emerging Threat to Agriculture , 2017 .

[45]  M. Z. Hashmi,et al.  Xenobiotics in the Soil Environment , 2017 .

[46]  Haren B. Gosai,et al.  Bioengineering for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation by Mycobacterium litorale: Statistical and artificial neural network (ANN) approach , 2016 .

[47]  Hafiz M.N. Iqbal,et al.  Horseradish peroxidase-assisted approach to decolorize and detoxify dye pollutants in a packed bed bioreactor. , 2016, Journal of environmental management.

[48]  Hong-bo Hu,et al.  Kinetic characterization, thermo-stability and Reactive Red 195A dye detoxifying properties of manganese peroxidase-coupled gelatin hydrogel. , 2016, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[49]  C. C. Azubuike,et al.  Bioremediation techniques–classification based on site of application: principles, advantages, limitations and prospects , 2016, World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology.

[50]  G. Suresh Kumar,et al.  Scenario-based modelling of mass transfer mechanisms at a petroleum contaminated field site-numerical implications. , 2016, Journal of environmental management.

[51]  P. Singh,et al.  Chemotaxis of Biofilm Producing Pseudomonas spp. towards Refined Petroleum Oil , 2016 .

[52]  E. Chirwa,et al.  Biosurfactant-enhanced bioremediation of aged polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in creosote contaminated soil. , 2016, Chemosphere.

[53]  G. Suresh Kumar,et al.  Numerical modelling on rate-limited dissolution mass transfer of entrapped petroleum hydrocarbons in a saturated sub-surface system , 2016 .

[54]  Jean-Francois Hausman,et al.  Lignocellulosic biomass: Biosynthesis, degradation, and industrial utilization , 2016 .

[55]  W. Ling,et al.  Phenanthrene biodegradation by sphingomonads and its application in the contaminated soils and sediments: A review , 2015 .

[56]  E. Chirwa,et al.  Production and applications of lipopeptide biosurfactant for bioremediation and oil recovery by Bacillus subtilis CN2 , 2015 .

[57]  S. Cappello,et al.  Immobilization of Microbes for Bioremediation of Crude Oil Polluted Environments: A Mini Review , 2015, The open microbiology journal.

[58]  N. Kalogerakis,et al.  Biosurfactant production from marine hydrocarbon-degrading consortia and pure bacterial strains using crude oil as carbon source , 2015, Front. Microbiol..

[59]  I. Nambi,et al.  Numerical studies on kinetics of sorption and dissolution and their interactions for estimating mass removal of toluene from entrapped soil pores , 2015, Arabian Journal of Geosciences.

[60]  N. Tam,et al.  Pyrene degradation accelerated by constructed consortium of bacterium and microalga: effects of degradation products on the microalgal growth. , 2014, Environmental science & technology.

[61]  L. Tormoehlen,et al.  Hydrocarbon toxicity: A review , 2014, Clinical toxicology.

[62]  Martin M. F. Choi,et al.  Properties and characterization of biosurfactant in crude oil biodegradation by bacterium Bacillus methylotrophicus USTBa , 2014 .

[63]  S. Singh,et al.  Biodegradation of benzo(a)pyrene mediated by catabolic enzymes of bacteria , 2014, International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology.

[64]  Mohsen Soleimani,et al.  Chemometric assessment of enhanced bioremediation of oil contaminated soils. , 2013, Journal of hazardous materials.

[65]  H. Sayel,et al.  Biodegradation: Involved Microorganisms and Genetically Engineered Microorganisms , 2013 .

[66]  E. Chirwa,et al.  Biosurfactants as demulsifying agents for oil recovery from oily sludge--performance evaluation. , 2013, Water science and technology : a journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research.

[67]  Guoxin Sun,et al.  Synergistic degradation of pyrene and volatilization of arsenic by cocultures of bacteria and a fungus , 2013, Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering.

[68]  L. Kong,et al.  Degradation of pyrene by immobilized microorganisms in saline-alkaline soil. , 2012, Journal of environmental sciences.

[69]  A. Fakhruddin,et al.  Degradation of Phenol via Meta Cleavage Pathway by Pseudomonas fluorescens PU1 , 2012, ISRN microbiology.

[70]  W. Röling,et al.  Molecular diversity and distribution of aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading anaerobes across a landfill leachate plume. , 2011, Environmental microbiology.

[71]  M. Shavandi,et al.  Emulsification potential of a newly isolated biosurfactant-producing bacterium, Rhodococcus sp. strain TA6. , 2011, Colloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces.

[72]  Mang Lu,et al.  Bioremediation of crude oil-contaminated soil: comparison of different biostimulation and bioaugmentation treatments. , 2010, Journal of hazardous materials.

[73]  G. Bengtsson,et al.  Spatial uncoupling of biodegradation, soil respiration, and PAH concentration in a creosote contaminated soil. , 2010, Environmental pollution.

[74]  M. Puri,et al.  Identification and characterization of genes conferring salt tolerance to Escherichia coli from pond water metagenome. , 2010, Bioresource technology.

[75]  R. Coleman,et al.  Acyl-CoA synthesis, lipid metabolism and lipotoxicity. , 2010, Biochimica et biophysica acta.

[76]  Seung Hyun Kang,et al.  Bioremediation: environmental clean-up through pathway engineering. , 2008, Current opinion in biotechnology.

[77]  Yoshifumi Shinoda,et al.  6-Oxocyclohex-1-ene-1-carbonyl-coenzyme A hydrolases from obligately anaerobic bacteria: characterization and identification of its gene as a functional marker for aromatic compounds degrading anaerobes. , 2008, Environmental microbiology.

[78]  B. Chang,et al.  Anaerobic Degradation of Phenanthrene and Pyrene in Mangrove Sediment , 2008, Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology.

[79]  H. Atagana.  Compost bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soil inoculated with organic manure , 2008 .

[80]  W. Röling,et al.  Dominance of Geobacteraceae in BTX-degrading enrichments from an iron-reducing aquifer. , 2007, FEMS microbiology ecology.

[81]  T. Lueders,et al.  Detection of anaerobic toluene and hydrocarbon degraders in contaminated aquifers using benzylsuccinate synthase (bssA) genes as a functional marker. , 2007, Environmental microbiology.

[82]  Kyoung-Woong Kim,et al.  Use of biosurfactant to remediate phenanthrene-contaminated soil by the combined solubilization-biodegradation process. , 2006, Journal of hazardous materials.

[83]  Jeffrey Philip Obbard,et al.  Recent advances in the bioremediation of persistent organic pollutants via biomolecular engineering , 2005 .

[84]  Q. Beg,et al.  Bacterial alkaline proteases: molecular approaches and industrial applications , 2002, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.

[85]  R. Schmid,et al.  Engineering Cytochrome P450 BM-3 for Oxidation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons , 2001, Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

[86]  R. Naidu,et al.  Bioremediation of high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: a review of the microbial degradation of benzo[a]pyrene. , 2000 .

[87]  J. Field,et al.  Successive Mineralization and Detoxification of Benzo[a]pyrene by the White Rot FungusBjerkandera sp. Strain BOS55 and Indigenous Microflora , 1998, Applied and Environmental Microbiology.