Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Biotechnology, Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India
  • 2 Department of Biotechnology, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Saveetha School of Engineering, Thandalam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • 3 P.G. and Research Department of Botany, Pachaiyappas College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • 4 Department of Biotechnology, College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  • 5 Department of Industrial Biotechnology, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • 6 Department of Civil Engineering, Environmental Research, Dhirajlal Gandhi College of Technology, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India
J Basic Microbiol, 2021 Oct 05.
PMID: 34609759 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.202100365

Abstract

The ever-rising environmental problems because of heavy metals emerging from anthropogenic activities pose an impending threat to all biota globally. Considering their persistence and possibility in biomagnification, they are prominent among pollutants. There has been an apparent shift of research interest in advancing cost-effective and competent technologies to mitigate environmental contaminants, specifically heavy metals. In the recent two decades, tailored nanomaterials (NMs), nanoparticles, and NM-based adsorbents have been emerging for removing heavy metal pollution on a sustainable scale, especially the green synthesis of these nanoproducts effective and nonhazardous means. Hence, this review explores the various avenues in nanotechnology, an attempt to gauge nanotechnological approaches to mitigate heavy metals in the aqueous system, especially emphasizing the recent trends and advancements. Inputs on remediating heavy metal in sustainable and environmentally benign aspects recommended future directions to compensate for the voids in this domain have been addressed.

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