Emerging Trends in Environmental Biotechnology

Sukanta Mondal, Shivesh Pratap Singh, Yogendra Kumar Lahir

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2022
• ISBN:
  9781000557312
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Biotechnology in Medicine

The environment is an all-encompassing component of the ecosystem of "Blue planet - the earth", made up of the hydrosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere. These three spheres have biotic and abiotic components which exhibit ecological homeostasis that provides the most appropriate survival chances for the members of biotic component and geochemical balance with abiotic components. This ecosystem is subjected to relatively harsh conditions, mostly created by the disastrous activities due to natural calamities and intentional and/or accidental anthropogenic activities. Biotechnology has become a potential tool to dissipate such environmental impacts because of the advancement it has undergone recently.

Emerging Trends in Environmental Biotechnology is an outstanding collection of current research that integrates basic and advanced concepts of biotechnology such as genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, sequencing, and imaging processes to improvise and protect the environment. This book is particularly attractive for scientists, researchers, students, educators and professionals in environmental science, agriculture, veterinary and biotechnology science. The book will enable them to solve the problems about sustainable development with the help of current innovative biotechnologies such as recombinant DNA technology and genetic engineering which have tremendous potential for impacting global food security, environmental health, human and animal health and overall livelihood of mankind.

Features

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• Presents easy-to-read chapters

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• Information is presented in a very accessible and logical format

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• Identifies and explores biotechnological approaches for environmental protection

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• Encompasses biodegradation of hazardous contaminants, biotechnology in waste management, nanotechnology, and issues in environmental biotechnology research

1Environmental Biotechnology: An Overview

Kamlesh Choure, Shivesh Pratap Singh and Rashmi Singh

DOI: 10.1201/9781003186304-1

CONTENTS

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Biotechniques Used for Environmental Problems

1.2.1 Bioremediation

1.2.2 Phytoremediation

1.2.3 Biofuels

1.2.3.1 Advantages of Biofuels

1.2.3.2 Types of Biofuels

1.2.4 Biofertilization

1.2.4.1 Microbes Used as Biofertilizers

1.2.4.2 Reasons for Using Biofertilizers

1.2.5 Biopesticides

1.2.5.1 Advantages of Biopesticides

1.3 Waste Management

1.4 Biomining

1.4.1 Methods of Biomining

1.5 Biosensors and Biomarkers

1.5.1 Immunoassay Biosensors

1.6 Concluding Remarks: Environmental Biotechnology Challenges and Future Perspectives

Acknowledgments

References

1.1 Intruodction

Environmental biotechnology is defined as the method of some eco-friendly products using microorganisms, as well as this branch deals with environmental problems. This field has emerged from other disciplines and deals with the environmental problems with the applications and technology of biotechnology. It focuses on cause of environmental problems and deals with the methods of biotechnology (Zylstraa and Kukor, 2005) to solve these environmental problems. As the population increases, municipal corporations and industries have had difficulty in dealing with liquid and solid wastes. With the application of environmental biotechnology, the proper use of selected strains of microbes can help degrade the waste material completely into simple organic compounds; thus, biological oxygen demand (BOD) decreases significantly. In agriculture, environmental biotechnology plays a very vital role by developing environment-safe technology for replacing the use of chemical-based pesticides and insecticides that are injurious to health. Various environmental problems, such as the release of harmful contaminants in the environment, various types of pollution, a decrease in fertility of soil, all kinds of waste production and the like, have emerged and been managed through many techniques by biotechnologists. These techniques are biodegradation (Starnecker and Menner, 1996), bioremediation (Adams et al., 2015), biosensing and biomarker (Bontidean et al., 2003; Lagadic et al., 1994), biopesticides and biofertilizers formulation (Rajasekaran et al., 2012; Mazid, 2011), phytoremediation (Bader, 1996), biofuel production (Service, 2007), biomining (Rawlings and Johnson, 2007), composting and vermicomposting (Domínguez et al., 1997) and biogas production (El Mashad and Zhang, 2010), among others.

Biotechnological methods are applied (Figure 1.1) in all areas of the environment where various types of pollutants are released and affect the area by decreasing the quality of that area, such as water pollutants (including herbicides, insecticides, inorganic waste, agriculture runoff, chlorinated solvents, chemical wastes, fertilizers, personal care products, sewage), air pollutants (including sulfur dioxide, greenhouse gases, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, volatile organic compounds, aerosols, radioactive pollutants, fuels emissions) and land pollution (including discharge from organic and inorganic industries, heavy metals, plastic, glass silt, oil spills). Major sources of pollutants are farming and gardening, industries, farming, acid rain, spray, vehicles, industries, construction sites and others. These pollutants enter the environment through anthropogenic activities and from natural sources. The presence of contaminants in the environment exerts bad effects on human health and disturbs ecosystems. This shows humans’ irresponsibility toward the environment.

Figure 1.1 Applications of environmental biotechnology.

Table 1.1 Microorganisms Involved in Bioremediation

Microorganisms	Type	Degrading and Removal Capability
Pseudomonas putida	Aerobic bacteria	Toluene, naphthalene
Dechloromonas aeromatica	Aerobic bacteria	Perchlorate and aromatic compounds
Nitrosomonas europaea	Aerobic bacteria	These microorganisms are able to remediate ammonium and nitrate from industrial wastewater to control the eutrophication
Nitrobacter hamburgensis	Aerobic bacteria
Paracoccus denitrificans	Aerobic bacteria
Methylibium petroleiphilum	Aerobic bacteria	Methyl tetra-butyl ether (MTBE)
Deinococcus radiodurans	Aerobic bacteria	Ionic mercury and toluene in radioactive environment
Methylotrophs	Aerobic bacteria	Chlorinated aliphatic trichloro-ethylene, 1,2-dichloroethane
Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquifaciens	Aerobic bacteria	Removal of heavy metals such as Cu, Ni, Pb, Hg
Phanerochaete chrysosporium	Aerobic fungi	Lignin of plant biomass, pesticides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, PCB, dioxins, dyes, TNT, cyanide, azide, carbon tetrachloride, pentachloro-ethane.
Aspergillus niger, Penicillium spinulosum	Aerobic fungi	Removal of Cu, Cd, Zn
Rhizopus arrhizus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae	Aerobic fungi	Uranium

Source: Dubey (2014).

Environmental biotechnology is applied to restore the contaminated sources and helps decrease the release of organic and inorganic contaminants. This branch of biotechnology is beneficial in the following aspects:

1. Treatment of the solid waste and wastewater by microorganisms
2. Removal and cleanup of organic and inorganic pollutants at the site or in the lab by bioremediation
3. Energy production from biomass
4. Transformation of chemical compounds to control and protect the environment by native and genetically engineered microorganisms
5. Biomonitoring of pollutants in soil, water and so on for environmental control

1.2 Biotechniques Used for Environmental Problems

1.2.1 Bioremediation

Bioremediation is the process used to detoxify contaminants i...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgment
• Editors
• Contributors
• 1 Environmental Biotechnology: An Overview
• 2 Pollution and Pollution Control
• 3 Biotechnology in Waste Management
• 4 Role of Absorption and Adsorption in the Removal of Waste
• 5 Biotechnological Approach for Wastewater Management: Constructed Wetlands Is a Green Solution
• 6 Multi-Soil Layering System for the Treatment of Domestic Wastewater
• 7 Nanotechnology and Its Implications in the Environmental Biotechnology
• 8 Climate Change Impact on Livestock Reproduction
• 9 Biosurfactants and Their Applications in Environmental Cleanup
• 10 Biobased Fuel and Chemicals from Lignocellulosic Biomass—Prospects and Challenges
• 11 Impact of CRISPR-Based Gene Editing in Environmental Biotechnology
• 12 Biotechnological Approaches for Increasing the Production and Utilization of Natural Fibers for a Cleaner and Greener Environment
• 13 Sustainable Development in Environmental Biotechnology
• 14 Policies and Issues in Environmental Biotechnology Research
• 15 Enzymes in Environment Management
• 16 Health Issues and Environmental Biotechnology
• 17 Socioeconomic Status and Its Relation to Pollution
• 18 Gene–Environment Interaction and the Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease of Uncertain Etiology
• 19 Environmental Biotechnology: Public Perception
• 20 Biodegradation of Hazardous Contaminants and Pesticides
• Index