Unlocking bioremediation potential for site restoration: A comprehensive approach for crude oil degradation in agricultural soil and phytotoxicity assessment.

Crude oil contamination has inflicted severe damage to soil ecosystems, necessitating effective remediation strategies. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of four different techniques (biostimulation, bioaugmentation, bioaugmentation + biostimulation, and natural attenuation) for remediating agricultural soil contaminated with crude oil using soil microcosms. A consortium of previously characterized bacteria Xanthomonas boreopolis, Microbacterium schleiferi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus velezensis was constructed for bioaugmentation. The microbial count for the constructed consortium was recorded as 2.04 ± 0.11 × 108 CFU/g on 60 d in augmented and stimulated soil samples revealing their potential to thrive in chemically contaminated-stress conditions. The microbial consortium through bioaugmentation + biostimulation approach resulted in 79 ± 0.92% degradation of the total polyaromatic hydrocarbons (2 and 3 rings âˆ¼ 74%, 4 and 5 rings âˆ¼ 83% loss) whereas, 91 ± 0.56% degradation of total aliphatic hydrocarbons (C8-C16 ∼ 90%, C18-C28 ∼ 92%, C30 to C40 ∼ 88% loss) was observed in 60 d. Further, after 60 d of microcosm treatment, the treated soil samples were used for phytotoxicity assessment using wheat (Triticum aestivum), black chickpea (Cicer arietinum), and mustard (Brassica juncea). The germination rates for wheat (90%), black chickpea (100%), and mustard (100%) were observed in 7 d with improved shoot-root length and biomass in both bioaugmentation and biostimulation approaches. This study projects a comprehensive approach integrating bacterial consortium and nutrient augmentation strategies and underscores the vital role of innovative environmental management practices in fostering sustainable remediation of oil-contaminated soil ecosystems. The formulated bacterial consortium with a nutrient augmentation strategy can be utilized to restore agricultural lands towards reduced phytotoxicity and improved plant growth.

Carbon-based catalyst for environmental bioremediation and sustainability: Updates and perspectives on techno-economics and life cycle assessment.

Global rise in the generation of waste has caused an enormous environmental concern and waste management problem. The untreated carbon rich waste serves as a breeding ground for pathogens and thus strategies for production of carbon rich biochar from waste by employing different thermochemical routes namely hydrothermal carbonization, hydrothermal liquefaction and pyrolysis has been of interest by researchers globally. Biochar has been globally produced due to its diverse applications from environmental bioremediation to energy storage. Also, several factors affect the production of biochar including feedstock/biomass type, moisture content, heating rate, and temperature. Recently the application of biochar has increased tremendously owing to the cost effectiveness and eco-friendly nature. Thus this communication summarized and highlights the preferred feedstock for optimized biochar yield along with the factor influencing the production. This review provides a close view on biochar activation approaches and synthesis techniques. The application of biochar in environmental remediation, composting, as a catalyst, and in energy storage has been reviewed. These informative findings were supported with an overview of lifecycle and techno-economical assessments in the production of these carbon based catalysts. Integrated closed loop approaches towards biochar generation with lesser/zero landfill waste for safeguarding the environment has also been discussed. Lastly the research gaps were identified and the future perspectives have been elucidated.

Trends in mitigation of industrial waste: Global health hazards, environmental implications and waste derived economy for environmental sustainability.

Majority of industries, in order to meet the technological development and consumer demands generate waste. The untreated waste spreads out toxic and harmful substances in the environment which serves as a breeding ground for pathogenic microorganisms thus causing severe health hazards. The three industrial sectors namely food, agriculture, and oil industry are among the primary organic waste producers that affect urban health and economic growth. Conventional treatment generates a significant amount of greenhouse gases which further contributes to global warming. Thus, the use of microbes for utilization of this waste, liberating CO2 offers an indispensable tool. The simultaneous production of value-added products such as bioplastics, biofuels, and biosurfactants increases the economics of the process and contributes to environmental sustainability. This review comprehensively summarized the composition of organic waste generated from the food, agriculture, and oil industry. The linkages between global health hazards of industrial waste and environmental implications have been uncovered. Stare-of-the-art information on their subsequent utilization as a substrate to produce value-added products through bio-routes has been elaborated. The research gaps, economical perspective(s), and future research directions have been identified and discussed to strengthen environmental sustainability.

Sustainable mitigation of heavy metals from effluents: Toxicity and fate with recent technological advancements.

Increase in anthropogenic activities due to rapid industrialization had caused an elevation in heavy metal contamination of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. These pollutants have detrimental effects on human and environmental health. The majority of these pollutants are carcinogenic, neurotoxic, and are very poisonous even at very low concentrations. Contamination caused by heavy metals has become a global concern for which the traditional treatment approaches lack in providing a cost-effective and eco-friendly solution. Therefore, the use of microorganisms and plants to reduce the free available heavy metal present in the environment has become the most acceptable method by researchers. Also, in microbial- and phyto-remediation the redox reaction shifts the valence which makes these metals less toxic. In addition to this, the use of biochar as a remediation tool has provided a sustainable solution that needs further investigations toward its implementation on a larger scale. Enzymes secreted by microbes and whole microbial cell are considered an eco-efficient biocatalyst for mitigation of heavy metals from contaminated sites. To the best of our knowledge there is very less literature available covering remediation of heavy metals aspect along with the sensors used for detection of heavy metals. Systematic management should be implemented to overcome the technical and practical limitations in the use of these bioremediation techniques. The knowledge gaps have been identified in terms of its limitation and possible future directions have been discussed.