Microbiome-Assisted Bioremediation

Book excerpt: Microbiome-Assisted Bioremediation: Rehabilitating Agricultural Soils provides a complete reference to the opportunities, technologies and challenges of remediating contaminated soils through use of microbial means. Environmental pollution and human exposure associated with heavy metals are attributed to anthropogenic activities such as mining, industrial wastes, and metal containing compounds in domestic and agricultural systems. Microbial remediation has appeared as a promising approach to lessen the heavy metal concentration in the environment due to their sequestration and transforming ability of xenobiotic compounds. Microbial bioremediation is an efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly procedure that reduces the cost of the cleanup process associated with heavy and toxic metal contamination. Addressing the foundational aspects of microbe-based approaches, this book provides a valuable gateway resource for those entering the field, as well as providing in-depth insights into the various tools and techniques for real-world application. - Emphasizes microbiome-assisted biodegradation of toxic substances in soil - Includes complete descriptions of the most recent and advanced techniques - Addresses the use of GMOs, nanotechnologies and in silico studies - Outlines developments in the microbial degradation of synthetic plastics in soil and the biodegradation enzymes