Preface

In the last century, rapid industrialization and urbanization have left a large quantity of a wide

range of pollutants emitted from both natural and anthropogenic sources. These pollutants have

detrimental effects on the flora, fauna and natural environment. The persistence and prevalence

of these pollutants virtually in all the ecosystems of Earth are of a major concern. Although a

large number of conventional physical and chemical methods are available for cleaning up the

environment, they are not sustainable and have inherent limitations. Hence, an alternate eco­

sustainable, bio-based and environment-friendly approach recognized as Bioremediation has

emerged. In bioremediation, biodiversity acts as a toolbox providing various processes/mechanisms

to eliminate, immobilize/stabilize, degrade or transform various hazardous contaminants into

innocuous and value-added products. This approach uses a vast array of biological agents, especially

bacteria (microbial remediation), fungi (mycoremediation), algae (phycoremediation), higher plants

(phytoremediation), biochar, nano-biomaterials, etc.

This book Bioremediation for Sustainable Environmental Cleanup has a compilation of

seventeen chapters contributed by eminent researchers from various countries located in diverse

geographical areas including Argentina, Canada, Germany, India, Pakistan, South Africa, the

United Kingdom and the United States of America. The book starts with a brief overview of

various bioremediation approaches used to clean up the polluted environment. It is followed by the

chapters on bioremediation strategies like Bioprecipitation, Bioaccumulation and Biosorption in

Chapters 2, 3 and 4. Further, the remediation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons using

phytoremediation and mycoremediation has been described in Chapters 5 and 6. The current

status and prospects of microbe-assisted bioremediation of pesticides have also been included in

Chapter 7. Chapter 8 focuses on the degradation of different pesticides by the bacterium Pseudomonas

putida. Chapters 9 to 13 extensively discuss the remediation of metal(loid)s. Chapter 14 presents

an overview of the potential of Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) in remediating wastewater

discharged from the paper and pulp, textile and dairy industries. Furthermore, the applications

of novel materials viz. biohybrids, nano-biomaterials and graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4), in

environmental clean up of heavy metals, pesticides, dyes and other organic pollutants have been

addressed/covered in Chapters 15, 16 and 17.

Conclusively, this book comprehensively describes the state-of-the-art and potential of emerging

bioremediation approaches, which have been employed for sustainable environmental clean up of

various environmental pollutants such as metal(loid)s, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dyes,

pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, etc., by using bacteria, fungi, algae, higher plants and novel

materials like biohybrids, nano-biomaterials and graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-C3N4). The emphasis

throughout, however, is on sustainable environmental clean up. Each chapter of the book can stand

alone, contains updated information and is clearly illustrated with figures, pictures and tables in a

scientific way.

We firmly believe that this book will cater to the interest of researchers, academicians,

environmentalists, agriculturalists, extension workers, industrialists, students at undergraduate

and postgraduate levels, practising engineers, policymakers and other enthusiastic people who are

unreservedly devoted to sustainable environmental clean up of pollutants.