Soil Bioremediation: Overview of Technologies and Trends

Israel Gonçalves Sales da Silva, Fabíola Carolina Gomes de Almeida, Nathália Maria Padilha da Rocha e Silva, Alessandro Alberto Casazza, Attilio Converti and Leonie Asfora Sarubbo
Additional contact information
Israel Gonçalves Sales da Silva: Northeast Biotechnology Network, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife 52171-900, Pernambuco, Brazil
Fabíola Carolina Gomes de Almeida: Instituto Avançado de Tecnologia e Inovação (IATI), Recife 50070-280, Pernambuco, Brazil
Nathália Maria Padilha da Rocha e Silva: Instituto Avançado de Tecnologia e Inovação (IATI), Recife 50070-280, Pernambuco, Brazil
Alessandro Alberto Casazza: Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Genoa (UNIGE), 1-16145 Genova, Italy
Attilio Converti: Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Genoa (UNIGE), 1-16145 Genova, Italy
Leonie Asfora Sarubbo: Instituto Avançado de Tecnologia e Inovação (IATI), Recife 50070-280, Pernambuco, Brazil

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 18, 1-25

Abstract: Petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals and agricultural pesticides have mutagenic, carcinogenic, immunotoxic and teratogenic effects and cause drastic changes in soil physicochemical and microbiological characteristics, thereby representing a serious danger to health and environment. Therefore, soil pollution urgently requires the application of a series of physicochemical and biological techniques and treatments to minimize the extent of damage. Among them, bioremediation has been shown to be an alternative that can offer an economically viable way to restore polluted areas. Due to the difficulty in choosing the best bioremediation technique for each type of pollutant and the paucity of literature on soil bioremediation enhanced by the use of specific additives, we reviewed the main in situ and ex situ methods, their current properties and applications. The first section discusses the characteristics of each class of pollutants in detail, while the second section presents current bioremediation technologies and their main uses, followed by a comparative analysis showing their respective advantages and disadvantages. Finally, we address the application of surfactants and biosurfactants as well as the main trends in the bioremediation of contaminated soils.

Keywords: bioremediation; surfactant; biosurfactant; environmental biotechnology; soil (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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