Microbial metabolism of aquatic pollutants: recent trends and future perspective

Abstract

Water pollution is one of the greatest challenges being faced by the world today. The availability of clean drinking water is one of the necessities of human life. Moreover, the water bodies act as habitat for innumerable organisms apart from catering to various needs of human civilization and maintaining homeostasis on the planet. Unfortunately, water supplies have been substantially degraded by uncontrolled and exploitative human activity. Urgent and practical measures are needed to address this situation. One of the most promising and long-lasting methods for reducing water pollution is microbe-based bioremediation. The metabolic diversity of microbes, their capability to grow under extreme conditions, ease of carrying out genetic manipulation, fast growth rate is some of the attributes which make them suitable for dealing with the aquatic pollutants. Through both direct metabolic pathways and co-metabolism, a diverse range of bacteria have shown the ability to digest a range of aquatic pollutants, including hydrocarbons, organic compounds, and new toxins. This article presents the latest information about the application of microbes for bioremediation of aquatic pollutants including the mechanisms involved, the bottlenecks associated with them as well as possible solutions using recent developments.