Current trends in nanotechnology for bioremediation

Abstract

Nanotechnology is an emerging field to produce nano-scale products with more efficient reactivity and larger surface area than its bulk phase. These unique attributes of nanoparticles offer immense potential for their application to clean up petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides, and metal-contaminated sites. As compared to the conventional physicochemical methods of remediation of contaminated sites, the bioremediation has been drawing increasing attention due to its economic, eco-friendly and self-propelling attributes. Nanoparticles (NPs) can be either applied directly for removal of organic contaminants through adsorption or chemical modification. They can also serve as a facilitator in microbial remediation of contaminants either by immobilising or through the induced production of remediating microbial enzymes. The present review provides an overview of different types of nano-technologies with biological and plant-based bioremediation approaches.