Bioremediation of PAHs and VOCs: Advances in clay mineral-microbial interaction

Biswas B 1 , Sarkar B 2 , Rusmin R 3 , Naidu R 4

Affiliations 

  • 1 Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, SA 5095, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, ATC Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: Bhabananda.Biswas@mymail.unisa.edu.au
  • 2 Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, SA 5095, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, ATC Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: Binoy.Sarkar@unisa.edu.au
  • 3 Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, SA 5095, Australia; Faculty of Applied Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA Negeri Sembilan, Kuala Pilah 72000, Malaysia
  • 4 Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes Campus, SA 5095, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment, ATC Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Global Centre for Environmental Remediation, ATC Building, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: Ravi.Naidu@newcastle.edu.au
Environ Int, 2015 Dec;85:168-81.
PMID: 26408945 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2015.09.017

Abstract

Bioremediation is an effective strategy for cleaning up organic contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Advanced bioremediation implies that biotic agents are more efficient in degrading the contaminants completely. Bioremediation by microbial degradation is often employed and to make this process efficient, natural and cost-effective materials can serve as supportive matrices. Clay/modified clay minerals are effective adsorbents of PAHs/VOCs, and readily available substrate and habitat for microorganisms in the natural soil and sediment. However, the mechanism underpinning clay-mediated biodegradation of organic compounds is often unclear, and this requires critical investigation. This review describes the role of clay/modified clay minerals in hydrocarbon bioremediation through interaction with microbial agents in specific scenarios. The vision is on a faster, more efficient and cost-effective bioremediation technique using clay-based products. This review also proposes future research directions in the field of clay modulated microbial degradation of hydrocarbons.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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